Japanese walkie-talkie maker investigates explosion of devices bearing its logo in Lebanon

September 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Japanese radio manufacturer Icom announced Thursday that it was investigating the explosion of walkie-talkies bearing its logo in Lebanon, after a new wave of explosions of electronic devices in the country the day before, causing at least twenty deaths and more than 450 injuries.

“Early this morning it was reported that walkie-talkies with stickers bearing our company logo exploded in Lebanon. We are currently investigating the facts of this incident. We will update our website with any available information,” the statement said.

The previous day was marked by another wave of explosions involving thousands of pagers (with the logo of the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo) belonging to alleged members of the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah, which resulted in twelve deaths, two of them children, and some 2,800 wounded. Initial investigations indicated that explosives had been placed inside the devices, so it remains to be seen how and when they could have been placed.

Gold Apollo said in a statement that its devices were manufactured by a company based in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, although the Hungarian government said its company, BAC Consulting, was merely a “commercial intermediary.” Both the Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah have claimed that the explosions were the work of Israel and have assured that there will be a response, although the Israeli government has not yet commented on the matter.