Fire kills child at Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon

Child killed, several people injured and around 100 tents destoryed after fire breaks out in refugee camp in eastern Lebanon

Firefighters and local residents helped put out the flames
Firefighters and local residents helped put out the flames

At least one child has died and several people injured after a huge fire broke out at a Syrian refugee camp in eastern Lebanon.

The blaze took hold at the camp near Qab Elias town in the Bekaa Valley, an hour’s drive from the capital of Beirut. Footage from the scene showed near total devastation.

The blaze destroyed around 100 tents, and emergency workers said that the fire had turned the camp into “ashes”, with only the bathrooms at the edge of the settlement left standing. 

The UN refugee agency told Reuters the camp had housed 102 families.

The UNHCR's Dana Sleiman said it is thought the fire was caused by a cooking stove, but added "we are waiting to confirm it".

The Lebanese Red Cross told the AFP news agency that 700 refugees were evacuated from the camp as the flames took hold.

Residents from surrounding villages joined firefighters in the effort to put out the flames.

One man, Zafer al-Nakhlawi, said there had been 93 tents on the site, and only three remained standing.

Earlier reports put the death toll from the fire at three and gave a far higher number for the tents destroyed.

Many Syrians, displaced by over six years of fighting in their own country, are now living in makeshift camps dotted around Lebanon. Lebanon has one million registered Syrian refugees, but believes the real number is closer to 1.5 million.