Wed 18 September 2024:
Multiple blasts go off in different parts of Lebanon, killing at least three people according to state media, a day after simultaneous explosions of pagers used by Hezbollah’s members killed 12 people and wounded thousands.
Multiple explosions were reported across Lebanon on Wednesday, with Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reporting that pagers and “devices” exploded in Hezbollah strongholds in the east and south of Beirut.
The Iran-backed group’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.
Hezbollah’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, witnessed two explosions.
“There was a car that exploded just behind us. At the same time, there was an explosion at another place [nearby],” he said. “I’m currently in the middle of the street. There are a lot of ambulances, chaos everywhere.”
Several blasts took place simultaneously, Hashem said, similar to what happened on Tuesday.
“But this time, it was mostly walkie-talkies or radios [that exploded],” he said, adding that reports suggested that solar devices and some batteries in cars also exploded. Lebanon’s official news agency reported that home solar energy systems exploded in several areas of Beirut.
In Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said a blast was reported in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Lebanon’s capital city.
“We are hearing a lot of ambulance activity in the area suggesting there may be well casualties coming here or other hospitals nearby, possibly as a result of explosions within Beirut itself.”
The new round of explosions took place a day after pagers used by Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed group, exploded nearly simultaneously in several locations across Lebanon, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and wounding around 2,800.
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for Tuesday’s attacks.
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Majority of injured have facial wounds: Doctor
Dr Salah Zeineldine, chief medical officer at the American University of Beirut (AUB) Medical Center, says the majority of those who were admitted to hospital following yesterday’s pager explosions had facial injuries to their eyes and nose, as well as injuries to the lower abdomen and their hands, mostly their fingers.
“Unfortunately with the hands, we had a lot of amputation of fingers, and with the eyes, we had lots of injuries which would leave permanent dysfunctional eyes or complete impairment,” Zeineldine told Al Jazeera.
He also said that it is common for medical staff to use pagers. “We [at AUB] use them for a limited number of personnel, who are [in] high demand, and the high stakes personnel who need to be activated urgently,” he said.
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