Multiple People Dead After Dangerous Explosions

(USNewsBreak.com) – When countries store their munitions, they do so in secure locations. However, sometimes outside elements, such as a fire, can wreak havoc. That’s exactly what happened in Chad recently, and now at least nine are dead, with dozens more injured.

The incident happened late in the evening on Tuesday, June 18, in the Goudji district of Chad’s capital city, N’Djamena. Abderaman Koulamallah, a spokesperson for the country’s government, said that doctors were treating 46 for injuries, some of which were “extremely serious,” after a fire caused several explosions at a military storage depot. Authorities are investigating the source of the blaze, which remained unclear at the time of writing.

9 dead, 46 injured in explosions at Chad military ammunition depot https://t.co/2YgG5pnPS5 pic.twitter.com/pzD77FLWT1

— New York Post (@nypost) June 19, 2024

A series of explosions jolted residents in the area out of their sleep just before midnight. The blasts, which lasted 30 minutes, rocked nearby buildings and threw munitions from the depot. It sent plumes of thick smoke into the air, and many residents fled their homes.

Some said they feared it was an armed attack, others detailed the damage to their homes, including one resident who said the explosions blew off his roof. They are calling on the government to help them.

Security forces immediately surrounded the region and told those who lived nearby to avoid the area while troops cleaned up the remaining munitions.

Some experts are cautioning that enemy forces might have set the fire intentionally, arguing against simple coincidence. They suggested that the event could have signaled a message to the country.

Chad has remained embroiled in regional and internal tensions. The nation allegedly involved itself in matters with Sudan, according to Cameron Hudson, who works for the Center for Strategic and International Studies as an Africa expert.

Then, there’s the political turmoil in Chad surrounding a recent election where Deby Itno won. He previously served as the interim president following his father’s death in 2021 and amid military rule in the African nation.