- The Washington Times - Thursday, January 2, 2014

Four were killed and 65 injured on Thursday after a car bomb exploded near a well-populated residential area in the southern district of Beirut.

That death and injury toll could rise, as the day progresses, officials said, in CNN.

The damage was significant, Al Manar TV out of Lebanon reported. A source told CNN that the bomb went off near a restaurants, Al-Jawad.

Video from that television station showed scores of people flocking around the still-smoking vehicles, carting water hoses and frantically trying to douse the flames, CNN reported. Meanwhile, smoke clouds billowed into the air while nearby buildings toppled.

The area, Haret Hreik, is a known stronghold for Hezbollah.

The bomb was so powerful that residents in the capital city, located miles away, reported feeling the grounds shake, CNN said.

So far, nobody’s taken responsibility for the attack. But emergency responders have urged people to go home and avoid the area, in case more explosions are planned.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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