Beirut: A tragic car collision at a gas station killed a Lebanese mother and her four daughters who were on their way to the airport to receive their father, who was returning home after a long time.
Lebanese media reported that the accident occurred on Saadiyat road towards the capital on Monday evening.
The accident reportedly occurred when the family’s car collided with a long line of cars at a gas station after the driver did not see in time, as the area was in complete darkness due to a power outage.
Lebanon is going through an economic crisis that has affected many services. Fuel has become a scarce commodity, and queues at fuel stations are no longer an uncommon sight.
The victims identified as Fatima Koubeissi, her twins Tia and Lia, 4, and her two other daughters Aya, 13, and Zahra, 17. Another relative, Hussein Zein, 22, who was driving their car, died of injuries on Tuesday.
Their funeral will be held on Thursday in their eastern hometown in southern Lebanon.
Imad Huwaili, the bereaved husband and father, was reported to have been coming to Lebanon from Liberia to treat malaria before the horrific incident occurred, four months after he was expelled from his country due to the economic crisis.
Monday was considered a “dark day for Lebanon” as a result of the incident, which many blame on the authorities for the chaos that has become common on Lebanese streets leading to gas stations.
Social media in Lebanon was also flooded with pictures of the family and people expressing condolences.