Lebanese security sources said the evening attack, which the Army confirmed was a car bomb, occurred on the main road between Ruwaiss and Bir al-Abed, a neighborhood of the southern suburb that in July was the target of a similar explosion.
The car bombing Thursday occurred around sunset as residents returned home from work.
Panic and urgency prevailed at the blast site, which sent plumes of smoke in the Beirut sky that could be seen from miles away.
People trapped in burning buildings cried out for help from windows.
As ambulances arrived, people from the neighborhood helped firefighters carry hoses and buckets of water to put out the flames engulfing nearby cars and buildings.
The Lebanese Red Cross said it dispatched 15 ambulances as part of its response and was coordinating with other organization to evacuate residents.
Locals voiced mixed reactions to the blast that left extensive damage in its wake.
Thursday’s was the second attack targeting a neighborhood in the south of Lebanese capital.
On July 9, over 50 people were wounded after a car bomb ripped through the Bir al-Abed neighborhood.
A previously unheard of group calling itself the “Brigade of Aisha, the Mother of the Faithful” claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack.
SHI/SHI