One killed, 13 injured in Lebanon blast

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SIDON, Lebanon, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A man was killed and thirteen other people were injured Sunday in an explosion at an agricultural plant in Sidon, Lebanon, officials said.

The explosion was caused by a chemical reaction at the plant, where bananas are chemically ripened before they are sold in the city's market, The Daily Star reported.

The victims were Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian.

The Daily Star reported workers rescued four critically injured individuals before security forces evacuated the others.

Red Cross representatives transferred the injured to hospitals, while security forces began an investigation.

The newspaper said several shops near the warehouse and three parked cars were also damaged.