Several people have been killed in an explosion in a Palestinian camp in southern Lebanon News

Ambulances travel to the Burj al-Shemali camp in the city of Tire while authorities are investigating the source of the blast.

A huge explosion has shaken a Palestinian camp in the southern Lebanese port of Tire, killing and injuring several others, state media reported.

A Palestinian source inside the camp told Reuters news agency that at least 12 people had been injured and the number of dead was unknown after the explosion on Friday night.

The blast occurred at a suspected Hamas weapons depot in the Burj al-Shemali camp, and a judge has ordered security forces to launch an investigation, the State National News Agency (NNA) reported.

12 Palestinian Hamas wounded in a bomb blast at a refugee camp

South Lebanon ???????? Judge Attorney General Rahif Ramadan has instructed security agencies and bomb technicians to inspect the warehouse as an investigation into the incident was launched.https://t.co/iqgSSz0nfp pic.twitter.com/TvEGxyntTR

– Saad Abedine ???????????????? (@SaadAbedine) December 10, 2021

According to a Palestinian source, the Shehab News Agency, which is close to Hamas, said the explosion was caused by the ignition of oxygen tanks stored in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamas maintains its presence in some Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

The NNA said the army surrounded the area, preventing people from entering or leaving the camp.

Videos of the scene shared by local media show a few bright red glows over the southern city, followed by a loud explosion and the sound of broken glass.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Lebanon. Many live in 12 refugee camps scattered throughout the small Mediterranean country.

Some Palestinian armed factions, including those linked to Hamas and Fatah, have effective control over the camps, which are not routinely included by Lebanese authorities.