[chris]

A pickup truck carrying a gas tank caught fire on the coastal highway between Zouk Mikael and Sarba, in Keserwan, Lebanon, on February 11, 2022.

The driver abandoned the vehicle and ran when it caught light. The tank then exploded, shaking nearby buildings, and the blast was heard as far off as Zouk Mosbeh. Flames reached the front and balconies of a three-storey building beside the road and a parked 4x4, and damaged power cables, cutting electricity locally.

Civil defense crews from Jounieh had the fire out by 12:45 and reported no casualties, though one Lebanese outlet said several people had been hurt. The highway was closed in both directions.

Security forces opened an investigation. What set the vehicle alight was never established, and the driver was not reachable afterwards.