Conflict Incident Report

At least one person was killed and eight others injured Sunday when a gas explosion ripped through a banana fermentation plant in a busy market street in the northern city of Tripoli. The explosion took place during the early afternoon in a banana fermentation plant owned by Faisal Borghol, in the city's Bab al-Tebbaneh district. Police confirmed that the blast was caused by a gas leak. Paramedics from the Islamic Medical Association rushed to the scene and transported three injured people to hospital, while the rest, including Borghol, were treated on site. The man killed was identified as Syrian national Maher al-Husain. A lever was used to lift debris as rescuers continued searching to see if anymore people were stuck, whilst the army cordoned off the area and kept residents away. Residents living in apartments above the plant were asked to leave the building in fear of any other possible explosion, however the residents refused to do so.