The West African nation’s leader has called the incident a tragedy
At least 11 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in an explosion at a fuel depot in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, local media have reported, citing emergency services. The city’s two main hospitals, Ignace Deen and Donka, are said to be overwhelmed with patients in serious condition.
The early-morning incident in the former French colony blew out the windows of several nearby homes, forcing hundreds to flee, a local told Reuters.
A massive fire that erupted following the blast at the main Guinean oil terminal in the Kaloum administrative district of the capital has been contained from spreading further, according to the director of civil protection, Colonel Mohamed Camara.
He said “there were several deaths,” although the actual toll will be disclosed following an investigation, which will also determine the cause of the explosion.
A fuel depot has exploded in Guinea city centre this morning. This is the worst disaster that Guinea has experienced since its independence. pic.twitter.com/IGM6C0wbM6
As a non-oil producer, Guinea imports refined oil, which is mostly stored at the Kaloum fuel terminal of the Guinean Petroleum Company and is distributed by truck throughout the country.
Footage on social media showed a huge blaze and billowing black smoke from the facility as firefighters rushed to the scene.
The military government has ordered workers, with the exception of emergency personnel, security personnel, and medical professionals, to stay at home. Schools have also been directed to close.
“Petrol stations will be closed, except for emergency services,” the government said in a statement.
Guinea’s interim president, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in 2021, declared the incident a “tragedy,” urging citizens to “show solidarity and prayer for the nation in these moments of hard trial.”
“I would like to present my saddened condolences to the families of victims as well as the people of Guinea, I wish a speedy recovery to the injured who are immediately and fully supported by the State,” Doumbouya said in a statement published by the Guinee Live outlet.
