A massive fire broke out at an ammunition depot in the Goudji area of Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, leading to multiple fatalities and injuries, senior government ministers reported.
The blaze triggered significant explosions, causing widespread panic and destruction.
Foreign Minister Koulamallah Abderaman confirmed that the incident occurred at a military depot, with the explosions audible miles away. “Loud blasts woke us up,” said local resident Moustapha Adoum Mahamat.
“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.”
Video footage circulating on social media, showed the night sky lit up by the blasts. Witnesses described seeing artillery flying through the air, and journalists from AFP reported that the fire caused weapons to discharge randomly.
“There were explosions of ammunition of all calibres,” a French official said under the condition of anonymity
Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture.
One resident said that he saw three wounded people on the street, while another reported his neighbor had been killed in the explosions.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby expressed his condolences to the victims and their families on Facebook, stating, “Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the grieving families, and a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
He did not specify the number of casualties but assured the public that an investigation into the cause of the fire would be conducted.
Foreign Minister Abderaman urged the public to remain calm in the aftermath of the explosions.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and authorities are working to determine what sparked the devastating blaze
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