Two Syrians die in a fire in a refugee camp in eastern Lebanon

Seven people injured in another fire in a camp for displaced people in northwestern Syria

28 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least two people, a mother and a son, have died this Tuesday due to a fire that broke out in a Syrian refugee camp located in the Lebanese city of Ersal, on the common border, as confirmed by the authorities.

The governor of Baalbek-Hermel, Bachir Jodr, has indicated on his account on the social network Twitter that the fire has been registered in the Chafak camp and has transferred his condolences to his loved ones.

“The fire has affected four stores and has been completely extinguished. We renew our warning to the displaced about the need to comply with and respect public safety guarantees to preserve their safety,” he stressed.

According to information collected by the Lebanese state news agency, NNA, the fatalities are a 31-year-old mother and her five-year-old son. The two were evacuated and died shortly after due to the seriousness of their injuries.

In recent years there have been several fires in camps and informal settlements of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, usually due to electrical failures or in the gas cylinders used, especially during the winter months.

The Lebanese government estimates that there are 1.5 million Syrian refugees in the country, 90 percent of whom live in extreme poverty, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Most of them reside in the Bekaa region.

On the other hand, at least seven people, including six children, have been injured this Tuesday due to a fire in a camp for displaced persons in the town of Al Qazala, in the Syrian province of (Idlib), as reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has added that the victims are affected by the earthquakes on February 6 in southern Turkey, which have left nearly 50,000 dead in both countries.