A series of strong explosions took place at a military ammunition depot in the Chadian capital N’Djamena in the late hours of June 18, causing fatalities, the country’s president said.
Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was sworn in last month as the country’s 7th president, confirmed the explosions, saying it caused human and material damages.
“Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the grieving families and speedy recovery to the injured,” the president said on his official Facebook page without giving any figures.
“An investigation will be opened to determine the causes and apportion responsibilities,” President Mahamat promised.
Earlier, the country’s Foreign Minister, Koulamalla Abderaman said the fire broke out in a military ammunition store in Goudji, causing the explosions.
In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), he urged the population to remain calm.
Neither of the authorities gave figures at the time of this report.
Goudji is located within 3 km (2 miles) north of N’Djamena International Airport (NDJ), according to Crisis24. Quoting local sources, the risks alerts portal reported that flames from the explosion could be seen from the airport.
Local media reported schedules flights from the airport were delayed as a result of the explosions.
A similar incident at a military base in Bata, in neighboring Equatorial Guinea killed at least 20 people in March 2021 and left 600 others wounded, in addition to leaving a trail of destruction in the city.
