Hospitals in the Akkar region of north Lebanon, where a fuel tank explosion killed at least 28 people this week, struggled to operate on Tuesday as life-threatening power and telecoms cuts swept the area.
Lights and phone lines went out across the impoverished and marginalised region that has long suffered from an ailing power grid but is now dealing with a crisis due to severe diesel shortages nationwide.
Less than two days ago the fuel tank exploded in the village of Tleil, scorching people gathered for petrol that the army was distributing.
About 80 people including soldiers were injured, many of them with severe burns, overwhelming hospitals.
Fuel shortages since the start of summer have aggravated hardship in the country of more than 6 million, which is in the throes of an economic crisis described by the World Bank as one of the worst since the mid-19th century.
Without the diesel to power private generators, businesses, hospitals and even the country's main telecoms operator have had to reduce operations or close because of power cuts lasting up to 22 hours a day.
In Akkar, hospitals storing corpses of victims in Sunday's blast were without power, internet and working landlines, as health officials pleaded for help from the authorities.
"We have a stock of 700 litres of diesel fuel which will last for only one day," said Riad Rahal, director of Rahal Hospital in the Akkar town of Halba.
The nearby El Youssef hospital also had enough stock of diesel to last until Wednesday morning but no working phone lines, said Nathaline El Chaar, assistant to the director.
"Since yesterday, landlines have been out of service ... and we are trying hard to secure diesel," Ms El Chaar told AFP.
She said the hospital's diesel provider had delayed deliveries, fearing attacks on a north Lebanon motorway where in recent days angry groups seized fuel from lorries.
But the official National News Agency said on Tuesday that diesel shortages and power cuts forced the Ogero telecoms provider to cut internet, landlines and mobile phone services in several parts of Akkar, paralysing banks, businesses and state offices.
Ogero chief Imad Kreidieh warned that other regions in Lebanon would have to follow unless the situation improved.
In the southern suburbs of Beirut, shots were fired at a petrol station in the latest incident as motorists lined up in long queues.
The NNA said the army was sent to the area after several people were wounded in the shooting, but did not provide more details.
A security source told AFP that people who had illegally stored petrol at a pumping station fired live rounds as soldiers tried to confiscate their stock.
They also started a fire at the petrol station, accusing its owner of having tipped off the army.
Videos and pictures circulating on social media showed men firing machineguns, although the authenticity of the footage could not be verified.
The army on Saturday started raiding petrol stations and confiscating stocks of fuel that distributors have been hoarding to sell at a higher price in the black market or across the border in Syria.
Lebanon's military said on Twitter it had seized more than 4.3 million litres of petrol and 2.2 million litres of fuel oil between Saturday and Monday.
It forced the owners of these supplies to sell almost all of the petrol and 1.6 million litres of fuel oil to hospitals, bakeries and a power utility, and to distribute more for free, the military said.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Cherry
Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo
1/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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