A family in the eastern city of Bayda had a narrow escape when a fire broke out in their flat on Wednesday.

A local source said the family was operating a power generator in the balcony when it suddenly exploded putting the flat on fire.

The entire family fainted because of suffocation caused by the smoke, but they were so lucky when their neighbours rushed to the burning flat and pulled them out.

The family members are now in good health, the source said.

Bayda, like other Libyan cities, is experiencing rolling blackouts that last for several hours a day. The problem forced many families to buy portable power generators to secure their power supply especially during the night time.