Beirut, Europe Brief News- A woman held staff hostage at a bank in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, demanding they let her withdraw frozen savings to pay for her sister’s medical bills.
She left the bank after reportedly being given $13,000 (£11,240). It is not clear if she has been arrested.
Later, a man held up a bank in Aley in a similar attempt to get his savings.
They were the latest such incidents in weeks, as anger boils over among Lebanese at restrictions imposed because of an economic crisis.
Withdrawals of hard currency have been limited for most people since 2019, when the value of the Lebanese pound plummeted and inflation soared.
The country is now in the midst of one of the most severe and prolonged depressions the world has seen, with more than 80% of the population living in poverty and struggling to afford food and medicine.
Wednesday’s hostage situation at the Blom Bank branch in Beirut’s Sodeco area lasted an hour.
During the incident the woman live-streamed a video of herself demanding access to her family’s savings.
