- A fire and explosion at a military munitions depot in Chad’s capital has killed nine people and injured more than 40.
- The cause of the fire is still unknown, but local residents panicked, believing the explosion to be a military attack.
- The blast came after political turmoil fuelled by a controversial presidential election that resulted in the victory of Deby Itno, who led the country as interim president during a military junta following the death of his father in 2021.
A fire and explosion at a military munitions depot in Chad’s capital killed nine people and injured more than 40, officials said Wednesday.
Government spokesman Abderrahmane Kramara said 46 people were being treated for various injuries after an explosion late Tuesday in the Goji district of the capital, N’Djamena, woke residents from their sleep. The situation is under control, Kramara said.
The explosion lit up the sky and clouded the West African country with thick smoke, causing residents to flee their homes for safety and sparking frantic firefighting efforts.
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The cause of the fire was not immediately clear and President Mahamat Deby Itno said an investigation would be conducted.
“Peace to the souls of the victims, my heartfelt condolences to their families and a speedy recovery to those injured,” President Deby said on Facebook, after visiting the scene of the crash and the hospital where the injured are being treated.
Resident Omar Mahamat said he thought the explosion was an armed attack and that it caused panic in the area.
Members of Chad’s security forces watch as armored vehicles head to the scene of a fire at an munitions depot in N’Djamena, June 19, 2024. (Joris Borromei/AFP via Getty Images)
Local media reported that the explosion began just before midnight, shaking nearby buildings and throwing ammunition from an munitions depot with explosive force.
Authorities urged residents to stay away from the area as security forces removed scattered artillery shells.
Resident Alamin Musa called on the government to “urgently come to our aid” after he and other residents fled their homes.
“Many families have died and it’s sad,” Musa said.
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Chad, a country of about 18 million people, has been in political turmoil since before and after a controversial presidential election won by Deby Itno, who led the country as interim president during a military junta following the death of his father in 2021.
Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the explosion was no accident and “feels more like a message” to a government embroiled in domestic political tensions as well as regional tensions over the war in neighboring Sudan.
Hudson, the former U.S. government official, said recent allegations that Chad is involved in the Sudanese war make President Deby Itno’s position at home untenable. “A divided house cannot stand.”
