2 yıl önce

Hamas: Electrical short circuit not arms caused blast in Lebanon camp

One person died and a few others were injured in Friday night's explosion at a refugee camp in the country's south.

AP

Immediately after the blasts, Lebanese troops deployed around the camp and briefly prevented people from entering or leaving.

The explosions that shook a refugee camp in southern Lebanon were caused by an electrical short-circuit in a storage area for oxygen bottles used to treat coronavirus patients, Hamas said.

In a statement on Saturday, the group described the explosions as an “incident” adding that a fire in the refugee camp in the southern port city of Tyre caused limited damage.

It gave no word on casualties but residents in the camp said at least one person was killed.

The group said the oxygen bottles and containers of detergents stored at the camp were to be distributed as part of its aid work in the camp.

“Hamas condemns the misleading media campaign and the spread of false news that accompanied the incident,” the militant group said in its statement.

It added that reports about the cause of the blast and the “deaths of dozens” are baseless.

Troops deployed

Immediately after the blasts, Lebanese troops deployed around the camp and briefly prevented people from entering or leaving.

Previously, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) had reported that arms stored for Hamas exploded Friday in the Burj Shamali camp, killing and injuring a number of people.

A security official also said the explosions caused casualties but did not give a breakdown.

NNA said the state prosecutor in southern Lebanon has asked security agencies and arms experts to inspect the Hamas arms storage site inside the camp.

Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants.

Many live in the 12 refugee camps that are scattered around the small Mediterranean country.

SOURCE: AP