Scuffles over the purchase of fuel has led to the death of at least three people in Lebanon, said local reports on Monday, August 9.
The fatalities have taken place in two different incidents in the country where fuel is scarce due to an ongoing economic crisis.
In one instance, two people were said to have been killed in the Tripoli district in a brawl that started over “the sale and purchase of gasoline.”
The scuffle resulted in a single firearm being discharged and a bomb being detonated, said the local reports on Monday.
The injured were reportedly rushed to the Islamic Hospital in Tripoli — the Lebanese city and district that shares its name with Libya’s capital — where they apparently succumbed to their injuries.
While the local reports did not say when this happened, they confirmed that the army had been deployed in the area to keep matters in check.
In another case, a brawl on Monday at a gas station in the Bakhoun village led to a youngster being shot dead.
The brawl had initially started with fisticuffs and knives, but firearms entered the fray later.
The shooter reportedly surrendered to the police after the victim succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Lebanon is in the throes of an economic crisis that has led the country’s currency to be devalued by more than 90% since end-2019.
This loss in purchasing power has also resulted in shortages of food, medicine, and fuels.
The fuel shortage has resulted in extended power cuts across the country, with even hospitals struggling to find fuel to power life-saving equipment.