Tragedy in Lebanon: Pager explosions claim lives and injure thousands
At least nine people were killed and thousands wounded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon after their pagers exploded on Tuesday, multiple media outlets reported, quoting the Lebanese Health Ministry.
At least 200 of some 2,750 injured were in critical condition, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. Others mostly suffered injuries to their face and hands, and some required amputations.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Hezbollah official told the AP that hundreds, including members of the group, were wounded in different parts of Lebanon when the pagers they were carrying detonated.
The official said the explosions were a result of an Israeli "security operation" that allegedly targeted the devices. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the accusations.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah previously warned the group's members not to carry mobile phones, saying that they could be used by Israel to track their movements and to carry out targeted strikes.
Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary condemned the late-afternoon detonation of the pagers – handheld devices that Hezbollah and others in Lebanon used to send messages – as an "Israeli aggression." Hezbollah said Israel would receive "its fair punishment" for the blasts.
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