A diesel tank exploded in a bakery in Beirut's Tariq al-Jadida neighborhood Friday evening, leaving at least four dead and injuring scores more according to the secretary-general of the Lebanese Red Cross.
The explosion reportedly created a large shockwave in the surrounding area, sending nearby residents into panic and damaging a large number of nearby buildings. The wounded are currently being treated at Al-Maqasid Hospital, where large crowds continued to gather late into Friday night.
As the Lebanese Army constructed a cordon around the area, work remained underway to evacuate citizens stranded on the upper floors of the building. Dramatic images showed screaming residents being lifted down by crane to the cheering crowds below. At one point, a firefighter emerged from the rubble with a baby in his arms, before the infant was swiftly taken away in an ambulance.
Lebanon's former Prime Minister Saad Hariri extended his condolences to those affected by the explosion Friday evening, urging the neighborhood's residents, who are largely Future Movement dupporters, to cooperate fully with the emergency services.
"I am in contact with all the competent security authorities to find out the causes of the explosion and follow up on the health conditions of the wounded and injured," Hariri added.
The explosion comes just over two months after the deadly Aug. 4 Beirut blast, which killed at least 190 people and damaged more than half the city.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
