Massive Fire in Hamra: Firefighters Battle Blaze and Evacuate Residents
A huge fuel generator fire erupted in Beirut’s busy Hamra area, igniting nearby cars in a parking lot. ©This is Beirut

A massive fire broke out on Saturday morning in a parking lot in Hamra, igniting several cars and trapping residents of nearby buildings. A thick black cloud covered the sky as firefighters worked to contain the rapidly spreading blaze. The reason of the fire as per local media is a power short circuit that enflamed a huge fuel generator.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported that firefighters and Civil Defense personnel managed to control the fire. Two persons, a worker of non-Lebanese nationality, and a woman were reported injured. 

Cases of asphyxiation have been reported earlier in nearby apartments, prompting intensive efforts to evacuate residents. Children, elderly individuals, and other citizens were seen evacuating from their balconies.

The caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Maalawi, along with Civil Defense Director-General Raymond Khattar, closely monitored efforts to extinguish the fire.

According to the NNA, a technical malfunction was behind the fire. The reason it spread so quickly was due to oil tanks close to the generator, which caught fire in turn. At least twenty-five cars were destroyed. A building was completely damaged.

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