"Two people were killed in the blast that took place in a parking lot, near a commercial centre," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The two victims were identified as Ihsan Dia and Hassan Nassar.

Lebanese television said they were believed to have been handling explosives inside their vehicle when the blast went off.

A witness told AFP he saw rescuers carrying away from the site a man whose arm and leg had been torn off in the explosion.

A pool of blood could be seen on the ground in the parking lot.

The police official said a car belonging to the son of Lebanese judge Albert Serhan was in the parking lot when the blast went off but it was unclear whether it was targeted.

Army and police forces immediately rushed to the site along with the Red Cross and cordoned off the area.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011

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