One dead, others injured as explosive blasts devastate ammunition depot in Chad
A member of the Chadian security forces walks at the scene of the fire at a ammunition depot in NDjamena on June 19, 2024. - A deadly fire erupted late on June 18, 2024 at a huge military ammunition depot in Chad's capital N'Djamena, causing weapons to fire into the air, the government and witnesses said. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP)
Multiple blasts caused by a fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad‘s capital, N’Djamena, on Tuesday night killed at least one person and injured several others.
This was confirmed by the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Koulamallah Abderaman, while reacting to the devastating incident.
An eyewitness near the depot said he saw three wounded people on the street, two of whom were rushed to the hospital on motorcycles for treatment.
Social media posts by residents showed spent artillery shells that fell in people’s homes.
A shopkeeper, according to Reuters news agency, was killed after a shell hit him.
Another eyewitness quoted by the agency reported that smoke was circling the city and that they had heard explosions and seen flames for nearly an hour.
The main international airport in the country , which was unaffected despite its closeness to the scene of the fire.
Meanwhile, President Mahamat Idriss Deby has 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 has not been confirmed, but the president has promised an investigation.
