A devastating fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, has resulted in at least nine deaths and 46 injuries.
The explosions, which lasted for approximately half an hour, have caused widespread destruction and panic in the area.
The fire broke out in the Goudji area of the capital, with eyewitnesses reporting explosions near N’Djamena International Airport and a base where French troops are stationed.
Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah took to social media to urge citizens to remain calm, without providing further information.
The death toll was in danger of rising as many of those wounded were in an ‘extremely serious’ condition, Abderahim told journalists.
“We were expecting dozens and dozens of deaths. In the end, the collateral damage isn’t very big,” Koulamallah, who is also the government’s spokesman, told the AFP news agency. “There aren’t many civilians who lost their lives.”
One resident, Moustapha Adoum Mahamat, told the Reuters news agency that he had been woken up by the sound of the explosion. “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.”
According to an official working with the French forces, there were “explosions of ammunition of all calibres”. “For the moment, no French military personnel have been wounded,” the official, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
After midnight, President Mahamat Idriss Déby visited the site of the incident and those receiving treatment in hospital.
He posted his condolences on Facebook and ordered an investigation into the fire: “Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the grieving families and a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
Koulamallah, who had urged the public to remain calm in the immediate aftermath of the explosions, said an initial inspection suggested several people had been killed in the ammunition storeroom. “The soldiers had time to evacuate the vehicles, heavy weapons etc and were able themselves to take shelter,” he told AFP.
French forces are stationed nearby, and their officials reported no casualties. The incident has sparked fears of a larger security breach, and authorities are urging citizens to remain calm and avoid the affected area.
