Sunday was a day of mourning in Arsal and its neighboring villages in the eastern Lebanon mountain range after eight people were killed in a truck crash that shook the village the evening before. Meanwhile, the hospital where they were transported, was accused of negligence. 

The father, mother, their four children (two sons and two daughters), the daughter's husband, and a truck driver were killed after the truck loaded with rocks ran over the family car.

The mayor of Arsal, Basil Al-Hujairi, said that the truck driver, Mohamad Deeb Ghadada, had lost control over the truck after losing its brakes while going downhill.

The truck crashed into a number of cars and a house and burst into flames. The driver was then transported to the Lebanese Hospital Geitaoui.

According to L’Orient Today, Baalbeck-Hermel MP Melhem Hojeiri among others accused the hospital of negligence. 

“Ghadada died at the hospital door. He was not admitted to the emergency room due to an alleged lack of beds,” Hojeiri claimed in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the hospital issued a statement defending itself against charges of neglect. 

“The patient was admitted the moment he arrived. Yet, he was suffering from second and third-degree burns on 75% of his body, cardio-respiratory arrest, and other injuries,” the statement said. 

“The medical team tried to resuscitate him by all possible means, but he died despite all medical efforts,” it stated.