A number of deaths has been recorded in Chad following a fire at a military ammunition depot in the capital N’Djamena.
The fire triggered a series of blasts on Tuesday night with at least one person reported dead and several others wounded.
The fire broke out just a few kilometres away from Chad’s main international airport but authorities said it was not affected.
Foreign Affairs Minister Koulamallah Abderaman has confirmed the incident. He has urged the public to remain calm after the explosions.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby also sent his condolences to the victims and their families, without mentioning the number of casualties.
“Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the grieving families and a speedy recovery to the wounded,” President Deby wrote on Facebook.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and the president says there would an investigation.
A resident who lives near the depot told Reuters of how he saw the wounded people. “Loud blasts woke us up,” resident Moustapha Adoum Mahamat was quoted by Reuters.
“Our house was shaking as if someone were shooting at us. Then we saw a big fire at the military camp and smoke and things exploding in the air,” he said. “We could see artillery fly over us.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
