Explosion: Members of the Chadian security forces inspect the scene of a fire at an ammunition depot in N'Djamena. Photo: Joris Borromé/AFP
a A deadly fire broke out at a huge military munitions depot in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, and a powerful explosion rang out into the night sky, shaking buildings miles away.
Explosions from the fire late on Tuesday night turned the sky red, artillery shells were fired at regular intervals into the flames and explosions could be heard for miles away, according to journalists and witnesses at the scene.
President Mahamat Idris Deby Itno said the fires had caused deaths and injuries but did not give exact figures.
“I offer peace to the souls of the victims, my heartfelt condolences to their grieving families and prayers for a speedy recovery to those injured,” President Deby wrote on Facebook, promising to launch an investigation into the fire.
Al Jazeera At least nine people were killed and 46 injured were reported to be in “very serious” condition.
Flames raged for several hours above the Goji area, home to the military's largest munitions depot, before gradually weakening and finally extinguishing just after midnight.
The explosion shook buildings up to seven kilometers away and flames were visible for miles.
“One of the explosions blew the roof off our house,” said Khadija Dakou, a resident of the Amshinene neighborhood near Gouzi.
A 36-year-old woman and her three children took refuge in the street with neighbours, fearing their house would collapse.
Authorities sealed off the scene with heavy security measures, but thick red smoke continued to hang in the air for a long time after the explosion had stopped.
Foreign Minister Abderrahmane Kramara, who also served as government spokesman, said on Facebook there had been a “massive explosion” at the site and urged residents to remain calm.
The warehouse site is located in a neighbourhood that also contains several residential buildings, near an international airport and a base that houses French troops.
A French military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the fire “caused the explosion of ammunition of all calibres.”
“At the moment there are no injuries among French soldiers,” he said.
The Chadian president officially won the May 6 vote with 61 percent of the vote, but international non-governmental organizations said the vote was not credible or free and his main rival called it a “sham election.”
Deby was installed as interim president in April 2021 by a military junta of 15 generals after his father, Idris Deby Itno, was shot dead by rebels after three decades in power.
Chad, one of the world's poorest countries, is seen as crucial in the fight to stop the jihadists' advance through the Sahel region. — AFP
