Lebanese Red Cross and security officials say a car bomb in east Beirut has killed at least 8 people and wounded dozens, in the worst blast the city has seen in years.

The explosion ripped through a narrow street at mid-afternoon in Beirut’s mainly Christian Achrafieh neighbourhood, an area packed with cafes and shops. Witnesses say bloodied victims were loaded in ambulances, and there was heavy damage to residential buildings. The Red Cross said at least 61 people were wounded.

And the state news agency added 78 were wounded. The motive behind the attack was not immediately clear. But it comes amid rising tensions and eruptions of clashes in Lebanon, stemming from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.