One dead in blaze at Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon

(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
Cairo, Shawwal 8, 1438, Jul 2, 2017, SPA -- A major fire swept through a camp for Syrian refugees in eastern Lebanon on Sunday, killing one person, Lebanon's official National News Agency NNA reported.
Seven others suffered from smoke inhalation from the blaze at the al-Raed camp, located near Bekka Valley, the agency added.
They were taken for treatment at local hospitals and were discharged later.
Firefighters and civil defence workers battled and put out the blaze, ANNA said.
The exact cause of the fire was not reported.
In an initial report, the Lebanese independent news portal Annahar said two people were killed in the blaze. Later, Annahar lowered the toll to one person, saying he was an eight-year-old boy.
The fire destroyed almost all tents of the camp, home to 560 refugees, according to the report.
Lebanon is home to more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees, who mainly live in several informal camps across eastern Lebanon, according to UN estimates.
On Friday, one Syrian child was killed and seven Lebanese soldiers were injured in militant attacks at two Syrian refugee camps where security forces were conducting raids.
The camps are in the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal near the Syrian border.
--SPA
01:19 LOCAL TIME 22:19 GMT

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