Nine people were killed and more than 40 injured when a fire set off explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital, a government spokesperson said Wednesday.
Spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said 46 people are being treated for various injuries after the explosions in the Goudji district of the capital, N’Djamena.
Local media reported the blasts started just before midnight Tuesday and lasted more than 30 minutes as nearby buildings shook and ammunition was thrown from the depot with explosive force.
Explosions and fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital caused fatalities and set off frantic efforts to put out the fire and treat the wounded, authorities and witnesses said Wednesday.
The explosions late Tuesday at the depot in N’Djamena lit up the sky as thick smoke covered the clouds in the West African nation.
The fire “caused human and material damage,” President Mahamat Deby Itno posted on Facebook. “Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the bereaved families and quick recovery to the injured.”
He did not give the number of fatalities.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and the president said an investigation would be conducted.
People living in the area panicked, thinking the explosion was an armed attack, resident Oumar Mahamat said.
The situation was later brought under control with security and health officials deployed in the area, government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said. He urged residents to remain calm.
Allamine Moussa, a resident, called on the government to “come to our aid urgently” after he and other residents fled their homes.
“Many families have recorded deaths and it’s sad,” Moussa said.
