Sharjah24 – AFP: At least 20 people were killed when a truck carrying fuel exploded in Lebanon's northern region of Akkar, the Red Cross said on Sunday.

Videos shared on social media showed a large fire at the blast site.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

"Our teams have transported 20 dead bodies and more than 7 injured from the fuel tanker explosion in #AKKAR to hospitals in the area," the Lebanese Red Cross said on Twitter. 

Lebanon, hit by one of the world's worst economic crises since the 1850's according to the World Bank, has been grappling with fuel shortages for months.

The Lebanese army on Saturday said it seized thousands of litres of gasoline and diesel that distributors were stockpiling in pumps across the country.