Chad Explosions: Deadly Fire at Ammunition Depot in N'Djamena

A fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad has killed at least nine people and injured 46 others, the health minister has said.

Abdul Majeed Abdul Rahim told reporters that the death toll was likely to rise because many of the injured were in “extremely serious” condition.

The explosions from the depot located in Godji area of ​​the capital continued for about half an hour throughout the night.

Video footage showed them lighting up the night sky, with witnesses saying they could be heard miles away.

The arms depot at Godji is the country's main arsenal and is close to the military headquarters, French army base and airport to the north of the city. There are also several residential houses in the neighborhood.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Kolamullah told French media that the cause of the fire was accidental and that fewer people were killed than initially feared.

“We were expecting dozens and dozens of casualties. After all, the collateral damage is not very big,” Mr Kolamullah, who is also a government spokesman, told the AFP news agency.

He said that there are not many citizens who lost their lives.

In his briefing, the health minister did not clarify whether the dead or injured were military personnel or civilians.

A resident told Reuters news agency that he was awakened by the sound of the explosion.

“Our house was shaking as if someone was shooting at us. Then we saw a big fire in the military camp and there was smoke and things exploding in the air,” Mustafa Adum Mahat said.

“We could see the artillery flying over us.”

According to an official working with French forces, there were “explosions of all calibres of ammunition”.

“No French military personnel have been injured at this time,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday morning, President Mehmet Idriss Deby visited the accident site and the people being treated in the hospital.

After midnight he posted his condolences on Facebook and ordered an investigation into the fire: “May the souls of the victims rest in peace, condolences to the bereaved families and speedy recovery to the injured.”

Mr. Kolamullah, who appealed to the public to remain calm immediately after the blasts, said initial investigations showed that several people had been killed in the ammunition storeroom.

“Soldiers had time to evacuate vehicles, heavy weapons, etc. and were able to take shelter on their own,” he told AFP.

France currently has about 1,000 troops in Chad to fight jihadist groups in West Africa.

Chadian troops have also played an important role in fighting Islamist militants in the region.