https://arab.news/buve9
- Electricity generator in basement believed to be source of blaze
- Flames spread to bags of plastic, cardboard collected by children’s father
BEIRUT: Five children from the same Syrian family were killed in a fire at a residential building in Tripoli on Thursday afternoon.
The three brothers and two sisters are thought to have suffocated in their home after an electricity generator caught fire in the basement of the building in the Al Mina area of the city, according to media reports.
The children’s father, who was not named, works as concierge at the building. He also collects recyclable materials, such as plastic and cardboard, which he stored in nylon sacks at the family home.
It is thought these items fueled the blaze.
Rescuers from the Lebanese Civil Defense and the Lebanese Red Cross paramedic teams rushed to the scene to tackle the fire and treat the victims.
The five siblings were identified as Mohammed, Mahmoud, Houssam, Amani and Alaa. Their bodies were taken to three hospitals in the city.
Three other people received medical treatment at the scene, the reports said.
A source from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces told Arab News that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the fire.
The children’s mother had been out shopping for Eid clothes for the siblings when the fire broke out. Video footage shared on social media showed her collapsing at the entrance to the building after discovering the tragedy on her return.
