The deadly explosion that shook the village of Tleil in Akkar on the night of 14-15 August was caused by the flame of a lighter, a source familiar with the investigation into the incident told the Nidaa Al-Watan newspaper.
According to the source, the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate was able to uncover the circumstances and details of the explosion two days after launching its investigation.
The probe revealed that an individual identified as “J.E.I.” had set ablaze the gasoline that had been leaking out of the fuel tanks on the site, the unnamed source explained.
This caused the gasoline puddle to catch fire immediately before disaster struck.
The investigation was actually comprised of two parallel investigations: a security-oriented one that focused on intelligence-gathering and interrogations, and a technical one that aimed at determining the cause of the fire and the explosion, as per the same source.
The testimonies of 17 people were taken throughout the probe, which, in addition to revealing the aforementioned suspect’s role, dismissed the theory of gunshots being what caused the catastrophe.
This is because the holes that were found at the top of the exploded tank were not bullet holes but ones that resulted from the explosion itself, which tore through the points where metal bars at the top of the tank had been welded, according to the source.
It is to note that three people were charged in relation to the blast two days ago, including Gerge Elias Ibrahim, who was accused of starting the fire that resulted in the explosion.