More deadly explosions hit Lebanon, a day after Hezbollah pager blasts

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Lebanon’s Health Ministry says one killed, 100 wounded as more explosions reported across the country.

At least one person has been killed and 100 were wounded in Lebanon in a new wave of blasts related to communication devices, the Health Ministry has said, a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah detonated across the country.

Multiple explosions were reported across Lebanon on Wednesday, with state-run National News Agency saying that pagers and “devices” exploded in Hezbollah strongholds in the east and south of Beirut.

The Iran-backed group’s Al Manar TV reported explosions in multiple areas of Lebanon, which it said were the result of walkie-talkies detonating.

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tyre in southern Lebanon, witnessed two explosions.

“There was a car that exploded just behind us. At the same time, there was an explosion at another place [nearby],” he said. “I’m currently in the middle of the street. There are a lot of ambulances, chaos everywhere.”

Several blasts took place simultaneously, Hashem said, similar to what happened on Tuesday. “But this time, it was mostly walkie-talkies or radios [that exploded],” he said, adding that reports suggested that solar devices and some batteries in cars also exploded. Lebanon’s official news agency reported that home solar energy systems exploded in several areas of Beirut.

In Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan said a blast was reported in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Lebanon’s capital city.

“We are hearing a lot of ambulance activity in the area suggesting there may be well casualties coming here or other hospitals nearby, possibly as a result of explosions within Beirut itself.”

The new round of explosions took place a day after pagers exploded nearly simultaneously in several locations across Lebanon, killing at least 12 people, including two children, and wounding around 2,800. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for Tuesday’s attacks.

It also shook the civilian population with a stream of bloodied people trickling into different hospitals across the country. Health authorities called on all available medics to report for duty.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies