Beirut: Lebanon was reeling from the aftermath of a powerful rainstorm on Thursday which has lead to eight deaths and wreaked havoc on infrastructure across the country.
A spokesperson of Lebanon’s Traffic Control Department told Gulf News that the storm—nicknamed Loulou—has caused more than 12 traffic accidents in 24 hours.
At least 8 deaths and 15 injuries have been reported.
Meanwhile, in a slum area of San Simon in the capital, 240 families were forced to vacate their poorly-constructed homes due to rain and floods.
In Beirut, the wall of a famous Jewish cemetery in Sodeco Square collapsed due to flood waters.
Inside, tombstones with Hebrew writing were found strewn about.
The cemetery, dating back to the early 1820s, is believed to be the only burial ground for Jews, who lived in Lebanon until the mid 1960s.
On the beaches of Sidon and Tyre, sand and rocks were swept ashore due to high and powerful waves.
In Akkar valley, agricultural greenhouses were heavily damaged by strong winds and the region’s crops were destroyed.
-Bassam is a freelance journalist
