Amin Melhem, the youngest volunteer during the devastating fires in northern Lebanon on Wednesday, passed away while helping put out the flames.
As the fire raged in Qoubayat, the 15-year-old was trying to drive it away from his family’s property in the village of Kfartoun in Akkar District, hours after the fire had started.
While at it, he fell on his head from a height and was transported to a hospital, only to pass away later on.
What happened with his father Jamil adds to the tragedy.
Jamil had been following the ambulance that was transporting his son to the hospital when he had to stop to refuel his car. As usual, there was a car queue at the gas station.
He crossed the queue to explain his urgent situation to the employees and the security forces at the station. When they refused to give him fuel, he started yelling at them, upon which they proceeded to assault him.
Bloodied, he eventually arrived at the hospital to be told that his son had already died.
The Qoubayat fire is ongoing, as of the time of writing, amid continuous efforts to extinguish it.
