[An Nahar] Three Syrians were killed in an accidental explosion at a munitions depot in the Tripoli neighborhood of Abi Samra on Friday, a security source told Agence France Presse.The men, all security guards, lit a fire to warm themselves near containers that stored munitions, without being aware of the contents, prompting an explosion at the privately run facility.
Important safety tip here: Always be sure of the contents of the munitions depot you're guarding before lighting a fire. It may contain munitions.
"A major explosion ripped through an arms depot belonging to Ghaleb B. near Al-Jinan University in Tripoli," state-run National News Agency reported earlier.
For its part, MTV said the blast occurred in "a building owned by Ghaleb Bqasmati." It did not elaborate concerning his political affiliation.
"The sound of successive explosions was heard and the blast caused a major blaze in the site which soon spread to the university's campus," NNA said.
Voice of Lebanon Radio said several people were killed in the blast. It identified one of them as Daoud al-Samarji.
The radio station said three wounded people were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that human remains were found in the location.
The blast increased tensions in the city, where clashes between pro- and anti-Syria gunmen erupted earlier in the day in the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.
Two Lebanese army soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the clashes.