On 11 March 2021 the caretaker minister of energy warned that Lebanon is threatened with "total darkness" at the end of March if no money was secured to buy fuel for power stations. A large fuel explosion in Northern Lebanon killed 28 people in August 2021. On 9 October 2021 the entire nation lost power for 24 hours after its two main power stations ran out of power due to the currency and fuel shortage. Days later, sectarian violence in Beirut killed a number of people in the deadliest clashes in the country since 2008.