AFRICA/CHAD - After explosion in ammunition depot: official report speaks of nine dead and 46 injured

N'Djamena (Agenzia Fides) - "The official report speaks of 9 dead and 46 injured, but the number of victims is probably much higher," an observer from N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, where a large arms and ammunition depot exploded on the evening of June 18 (see Fides, 19/6/2024), told Fides. "The first explosion was so powerful that the glass windows of the apartments on the top floors of the buildings a few kilometers from the facility were shattered. Numerous other explosions followed, throwing the ammunition in all directions, even into the homes of civilians. Therefore, it is feared that the death toll is higher than that reported by the government," the observer said.
Meanwhile, the authorities have launched an official investigation, but "the prevailing opinion is that this was a tragic accident, the result of carelessness and negligence on the part of those who were supposed to guard the arsenal." "On the other hand," adds the observer, "a similar accident had already occurred several years ago at the same military depot, and negligence was also mentioned then." Commonly referred to as the "powder keg," the Goudji weapons and ammunition depot is the army's main depot for heavy weapons and ammunition in N'Djamena. It is located near important garrisons and the army headquarters, the "Hassan Djamous" international airport and the "Adji Kosseï" military base, which houses the French contingent in Chad.
"Initially, this was a relatively uninhabited area, but over the years, as the city grew, the depot was surrounded by civilian housing," continues the observer. "The close proximity of the international airport poses a problem. Fortunately, the airport was only closed for a few hours after the explosion and is now back in operation, but it would have been a big problem if it had remained closed for days because it is the main route to the outside world." Meanwhile, President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno visited the site of the explosion and assured: "I want to tell my compatriots that the situation is under control and that they should remain calm." He then added: "This is not the first time that ammunition depots have exploded. This should be a lesson to us not to build a depot in the middle of the city." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 20/6/2024)

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