Burned survivors treated at Beirut hospital

Survivors of a deadly explosion in northern Lebanon early Sunday who had each suffered "severe" burns were brought to Beirut for hospital treatment.

The blast at a warehouse where fuel was illegally stored killed 20 people and injured dozens more in the latest tragedy to hit the Mediterranean country in the throes of a devastating economic and political crisis.

At Beirut's Geitaoui hospital, Marwa el-Sheikh from Tleil was waiting for word about her brother who was being treated for burns, and her brother-in-law, a retired soldier, who was still missing.

"I cannot tell you about the scene, there are people who were not identified because they were disfigured," she says.

The hospital's general director, Hadia Abi Shibli, said staff had received 10 patients each with "severe burns...almost burned all over their bodies", including three who were in a critical condition.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion near the border with Syria.

Fuel smuggling operations have been ongoing for months.

The Lebanese Red Cross said a fuel tanker exploded and its teams recovered 20 bodies from the site in the border village of Tleil.

In a statement, it said it evacuated 79 people who were injured or suffered burns in the blast.

Hours after the explosion, Lebanese Red Cross members were still searching the area for more victims as soldiers cordoned the area.

A Lebanese military official said the explosion occurred after the army confiscated a warehouse in Tleil where about 60,000 liters of gasoline were stored and the order was given to distribute the fuel to residents of the area.

Residents had gathered to acquire the scarce commodity, available only on the black market at exorbitant prices or not at all.

It was not clear what caused it, the official said told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The explosion comes as Lebanon faces a severe fuel shortage that has been blamed on smuggling, hoarding and the cash-strapped government's inability to secure deliveries of imported fuel.

The shortages have paralysed the country long dependent on private generators to light up their homes.