The blast in Akkar’s Tleil area occurred after roughly 200 people were reportedly arguing while trying to fill their canisters with gasoline, the Middle East Eye reported on Sunday. The Lebanese Army said that the owner of the field where the blast happened was arrested.
According to MTV, a Lebanese television channel, the exploded tanker contained an estimated 30,000 liters of gas and was purportedly smuggled in from Syria. The tanker was confiscated shortly before the blast by law enforcement, according to a tweet from the Lebanese Army.
In recent days, the country has faced increasing difficulty with gas distribution, as locals rush to take stocks of fuel in anticipation of a price increase after the government announced that it would end fuel subsidies. Amid reports of long lines at gas stations, authorities started raids to curb hoarding amid crippling shortages. The confiscated fuel was said to be distributed to locals for free.