Fuel explosion in Lebanon kills 20, wounding dozens

By BASSEM MROUE and ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A warehouse where fuel was illegally stored has exploded in northern Lebanon, killing 20 people and wounding dozens more with severe burns. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion Sunday near the border with Syria. Smuggling operations have been ongoing for months along the border, amid severe fuel shortages in the crisis-hit country. A Lebanese military official said the explosion occurred after the army confiscated a warehouse in Tleil where about 60,000 liters of gasoline were stored and the order was given to distribute the fuel to residents of the area. It was not clear what caused it, the official said.