At least 57 people, including three soldiers, were injured in a fire at a storage unit in Bujumbura, the army has said
A fire at an ammunition depot inside a military camp on the outskirts of Burundi’s largest city triggered multiple explosions on Tuesday night, killing 13 people and injuring more than 50 others, the East African nation’s army has said.
According to army spokesperson Gaspard Baratuza, the blaze broke out at a storage unit in the Musaga area of Bujumbura following an electrical fault. The fire ignited explosives at the site, triggering several blasts that sent munitions flying across the camp and surrounding neighborhoods.
Three military personnel are among the 57 people injured, Baratuza told reporters on Wednesday.
He said the inferno also caused “considerable” material damage, with military equipment and installations burned, and houses and vehicles damaged in several neighborhoods.
Unverified footage shared on social media and purportedly from the incident appears to show plumes of smoke rising above the city, triggering panic among nearby residents, with some reportedly fleeing the area.
Local officials cited by AP said children who fled were being cared for at the Buhonga Catholic Parish while families regrouped.
The military urged “the entire Burundian population to remain calm and composed, to report any unexploded devices to the authorities as soon as possible, and not to handle them.”
It added that the government retained the capacity to guarantee the country’s peace and security.
Burundi has experienced serious fire-related disasters in the past, including in 2021, when a blaze at Gitega prison killed at least 38 inmates and injured 69 others. The authorities blamed a short circuit for the fire at the overcrowded facility.
The latest incident has raised fears in a country that has experienced periodic security tensions and violence in recent years, including rebel attacks.
The army’s spokesperson, however, said the military camp had not come under attack and urged residents of Gasekebuye, Kanyosha, Kinindo, and nearby neighborhoods not to panic.
