NNA - The Civil Defense General Directorate's Media and Public Relations Department announced in a statement that, "With the close follow-up of His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, and under the supervision of the Acting Director General of Civil Defense, Brigadier General Nabil Farah, firefighting operations began at 11:41 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, after the General Directorate of Civil Defense's operations room received a call reporting a fire inside a fuel distribution station in Hermel."
The statement added that firefighting teams from the General Directorate of Civil Defense immediately rushed to the site of the fire and have been working to combat the blaze and limit its spread, with the support of several vehicles and personnel from the Baalbek Regional Center, Hermel Regional Center, and Qobayat Regional Center.
The statement indicated that the fire broke out as a result of gasoline leakage from a tanker truck while it was unloading its cargo at the station. The fire spread at lightning speed, destroying a large number of vehicles (15) and a tanker truck, a building consisting of two floors, with the first floor housing five shops and the second two residential apartments. The slippery terrain and the station's location in a densely populated residential neighborhood contributed to the extensive damage, further complicating the firefighting operations.
The fire resulted in the deaths of two Lebanese children who were inside a car parked at the station, while their grandfather sustained serious injuries. A Syrian child who was inside another car also died, and two Syrians who were with him were injured and remain in critical condition.
Additionally, two citizens sustained various injuries and were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The head of the Civil Defense Center in Labweh was also injured during the extinguishing operations, requiring hospitalization.
After extensive attempts, the Civil Defense teams were finally able to fully control the fire and are currently continuing to cool the area to ensure it does not reignite.
While the General Directorate of Civil Defense regretted this painful incident, it emphasized the need for adhering to the general safety measures inside fuel distribution stations, such as refraining from smoking or lighting fires, ensuring that equipment is safe, avoiding using mobile phones while refueling, maintaining a functional fire extinguisher and following training on how to use it.
The Directorate urged everyone to adhere to the preventative measures to avoid similar incidents.
==========R.Sh.
