Photo Credit: BBC Africa News
Officials report that a massive explosion at the main oil terminal in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, has left at least eight people dead and numerous others injured. Hundreds of people in the downtown Conakry neighborhood evacuated as the explosion blew out the windows of surrounding homes, according to witnesses.
The city’s schools will close on orders from the authorities, who are also advising employees to remain at home. It was a fire that started the explosion. What caused the fire to ignite remains unknown. “Eight blackened corpses were transferred to the Ignace Deen hospital morgue,” a senior representative at the establishment informed the AFP news agency. The number of injured persons reported by the media ranges from 84 to 100.
Around midnight at the local time, the fire started, and it was still roaring hours later. Residents in the region are to evacuate, according official orders. Miles away, the fire and pillars of black smoke were visible, according to the Reuters news agency. Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, a spokesman for the government, told the BBC that “we still haven’t finished counting the number of victims,” which prevented him from confirming fatality counts. According to the prime minister, a crisis squad has been established to handle the incident and its consequences. According to Mr. Diallo, the destroyed oil depot was “strategically very important” because it provided fuel to nearly the entire nation.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
