“He sent out his word and healed them and he rescued them from the grave”
[Aug. 15. 2021] At least 20 people were killed and 80 others injured by a fuel tank explosion in the northern region of Akkar of Lebanon on 15 August (local time) according to AFP News.
The Lebanese Red Cross said, “Our teams have transported 20 dead bodies to hospitals from the fuel explosion scene.” It added that 79 other people were injured.
The corpses were so charred that it was not possible to identify them and burnt patients were carried a few 10 KMs to better equipped hospitals..
Videos shared on social media showed a large fire at the blast site, however, AFP could not verify the authenticity of the footage. The exact cause of the explosion is still unknown.
The Official National News Agency said that a container of fuel that the army had confiscated had exploded. It said the explosion took place following scuffles between residents that gathered around the container to fill up gasoline overnight.
The agency added that the army had left the area before the fight took place. The Lebanese army seized thousands of liters of gasoline and diesel the day before that distributor was stockpiling at stations across the country.
Lebanon, which has suffered its worst economic crisis since 2019, has recently been struggling with poverty and currency depreciation, as well as severe fuel shortages. Fuel shortages have left many with just two hours of electricity a day, while several hospitals have been threatened to shut down due to the lack of power.
The Akka explosion comes just after Lebanon marked the first anniversary of a blast at Beirut port last summer that killed more than 200 people. Earlier on August 4, 2020, a large fire caused by an ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion stored in a city port in Beirut left the city in ruins.
As the coronavirus pandemic overlaps, Lebanon is facing an unprecedented crisis and the formation of a government that is to take care of the people has been delayed, continuing the state vacuum.
The third prime minister has been nominated since then-Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned after taking responsibility for the explosion, however, the cabinet is still yet to be formed. There is still no progress in the investigation of the exact cause of the explosion. The World Bank calls Lebanon’s recent economic crisis one of the most severe and prolonged economic crises in world history since the mid-19th century.
”The Akka massacre is no different from the port massacre”, said former prime minister Saad Hariri on his Twitter, “If there was a state that respects people, its officials would resign, starting with the president of the republic to the last person responsible for this neglect. (Source: Yeonhap News).
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. (Psalm 107:19-20)
Dear God, we lift up the families of those 20 people who have been killed and the other 80 who have suffered injuries from the fuel tank explosion in Lebanon. We pray for the country that is going through its worst poverty, severe shortage of fuel, and power amidst the COVID-19 pandemic to cry out to the LORD for help. We also pray that the government cabinet will be formed to lead the country. Pray that Lebanon would hear the word of the gospel of the cross so that they may be saved from sin, death, and Satan and they may be restored.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
