At least 7 reported dead in Lebanon explosion

At least seven people were killed on Wednesday morning in a series of explosions in a house near the Lebanese city of Baalbek, according to security sources. The four-story building collapsed, and witnesses said several people were buried underneath the rubble.

A Lebanese official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the cause of Wednesday’s blasts was not immediately clear, but the destroyed building may have been a munitions warehouse for Hezbollah.

According to Israel’s Channel 2 TV, Hezbollah later confirmed that three of the dead were members of the organization.

Hezbollah forces reportedly closed the road leading to the site of the explosions.

Baalbek is located in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. It is a Hezbollah stronghold, but scores of criminal figures are also known to operate in the area.

Explosions at weapons depots belonging to Hezbollah are not uncommon in Lebanon. The group, which fought Israel to a stalemate in a month-long war in 2006, maintains a formidable arsenal that rivals that of the Lebanese army.