Beirut car bomb explodes in Christian neighbourhood

on 19/10/2012 14:18:23

A number of people have been injured after a massive car bomb exploded in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

A reporter at the scene saw bloodied people being helped into ambulances and heavy damage to what appeared to be residential buildings in the mostly Christian Achrafieh neighbourhood.

The motive behind the blast was not immediately clear.

Lebanon has seen a rise in clashes and tensions in recent months stemming from the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

The casualty toll was not immediately clear, but an Associated Press reporter at the scene saw victims with what appeared to be grave injuries.

One young girl was bleeding profusely from her head; other wounded were being loaded into ambulances.

"I was standing nearby in Sassine Square and I heard a big explosion and I ran straight to it," resident Elie Khalil told The Associated Press. He said he saw at least 15 bloodied people in a nearby car park before medics arrived and took them to a hospital.

The motive behind the blast and its target were not immediately clear. It comes at a time when Lebanon has seen a rise in tension and eruptions of clashes stemming from the civil war in neighbouring Syria.