Security cameras captured the moment a man’s bag exploded in a supermarket in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, September 17. The location was verified to be a supermarket in Beirut, Lebanon, from the patterns of the floor and ceiling tiles, which matched archival footage of the store’s interior. The video is also time-stamped.
Thousands of members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, including fighters and medics, were seriously injured when the pagers they use to communicate exploded, a security source told Reuters.
VIDEO: Security camera captures moment of explosion in Beirut supermarket
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pager blasts were the “biggest security breach” the group has faced in nearly a year of war with Israel. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military to Reuters’ questions about the blasts.
Explosion videos go viral on social media
Photos and videos from Beirut’s southern suburbs have been circulating on social media and in local media showing people lying on the pavement with wounds on their hands or near their trouser pockets. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned members of the group not to carry mobile phones, as Israel could use them to track their movements and carry out targeted attacks.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry asked all hospitals to be on standby for emergency patients and for people with pagers to stay away from them. It also asked health workers to avoid using wireless devices. AP photographers at area hospitals said emergency rooms were overloaded with patients, many with limb injuries, some in critical condition.
The state-run National News Agency said hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs, all areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence, had asked people to donate blood of all types.
The news agency reported that in Beirut’s southern suburbs and other areas “the portable pager system was detonated using advanced technology, and dozens of injuries were reported.” A Hezbollah official said at least 150 people, including members of the group, were injured in different parts of Lebanon when the pagers they were carrying exploded.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the explosions were the result of “a security operation targeting the devices.”
“The enemy (Israel) is behind this security incident,” the official said, without giving further details. He added that the new pagers carried by Hezbollah members had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.
Can a pager be used as an explosive?
Lithium batteries, when heated too much, can smoke, melt, and even catch fire. Rechargeable lithium batteries are used in consumer products ranging from cell phones and laptops to electric cars. Lithium battery fires can reach temperatures of up to 590°C (1100°F).
The incident comes at a time of rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been clashing almost daily for more than 11 months amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah’s ally Hamas in Gaza.
The fighting has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and dozens in Israel, and displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. On Tuesday, Israel said that stopping Hezbollah attacks in the north to allow residents to return to their homes was now an official aim of the war.
(With contributions from agencies)
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