Fire races through Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon, 1 dead

BEIRUT – A fire has broken out in a Syrian refugee settlement in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, killing at least one person and sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky.

The state-run National News Agency says the fire broke out midday Sunday near Qab Elias town. George Ketteneh of Lebanon’s Red Cross says initial reports indicate more than 100 tents were burned and one person died.

Ahmed Salloum, of the emergency services in Qab Elias, says the fire turned the tent camp into “ashes,” with only the bathrooms at the edge of the settlement left standing. The explosion of gas canisters could be heard from a distance.

Lebanon is home to over 1 million registered Syrian refugees, who reside largely in settlements in Lebanon’s Bekaa, near the border.