Watch: Lebanese national holds bank staff to ransom to access his own deposits, people declare him ‘national hero’

Chandigarh, August 13

A dramatic scene got witnessed inside a bank in Beirut city of Lebanon, where a man barged inside and kept as many as 10 people hostage demanding withdrawal of his own money.

As per a report of Associated Press, Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered the Federal Bank in Beirut’s Hamra district on Tuesday with a shotgun and a can of inflammable liquid.

He threatened bank staff of self-immolation if they didn’t allow him to withdraw his cash. He in fact fired warning shots by his shotgun to intimidate the staff and compel them to comply with his demand.

Hussain reportedly had around$210,000 in his bank account and wanted to withdrawsome $10,000 to pay for his father’s medical billsand other expenses.

After hours of standstill, a consensus was reached upon and bank handed over $ 35,000 to his brother.

All hostages were set free and Hussain surrendered himself before police.

As Lebanon is witnessing financial meltdown and has capped the withdrawal limit from banks, people are at the receiving end failing to access money as per their needs.

After the drama orchestrated by Hussain in bank ended, people declared him national hero for the drastic move he made to take on bank. A huge crowd chanted ‘down with the rule of the banks’ and later hailed Hussain as national hero.

Lebanon’s three-quarters of population has plunged into poverty. Lebanese pound has declined in value by more than 90 per cent against the US dollar.