A huge fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad killed at least nine people and injured 46 others, the health minister said.
The death toll was at risk of rising as many of the injured were in an “extremely serious” condition, Abdelmadjid Abderahim told journalists.
The explosions at the warehouse in the Goudji area of the capital, N’Djamena, lasted for about half an hour overnight.
Video footage showed them lighting up the night sky, with witnesses saying they could be heard miles away.
The weapons depot in Goudji is the country’s main arsenal and is located in the north of the city, close to the military headquarters, two French army bases and the airport. There are also numerous residential houses in the neighborhood.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah told French media that the cause of the fire was accidental and that far fewer people died than initially feared.
“We expected dozens and dozens of deaths. In the end, the collateral damage is not very great,” Koulamallah, who is also a government spokesman, told the AFP news agency.
“There are not many civilians who lost their lives,” he said.
In his briefing, the Minister of Health did not specify whether the dead or injured were military personnel or civilians.
One resident told the Reuters news agency that he was woken up by the sound of the explosion.
“Our house shook like someone was shooting at us. Then we saw a big fire in the military camp, smoke and things exploding in the air,” said Moustapha Adoum Mahamat.
“We could see the artillery flying over us.”
According to an officer working with French forces, there were “explosions of ammunition of all calibers”.
“To date, no French soldier has been injured,” the official, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
On Wednesday morning, President Mahamat Idriss Déby visited the scene of the incident and people receiving treatment at the hospital.
After midnight he posted his condolences on Facebook and ordered an investigation into the fire: “Peace to the souls of the victims, sincere condolences to the bereaved families and a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Koulamallah, who urged the public to remain calm in the immediate aftermath of the explosions, said an initial inspection suggested several people were killed at the ammunition depot.
“Soldiers had time to evacuate vehicles, heavy weapons, etc. and they were able to take shelter themselves,” he told AFP.
France currently has around 1,000 troops in Chad to combat jihadist groups across West Africa.
Chadian troops also played a vital role in combating Islamic militants in the region.
You might also be interested in:
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25522058/Xbox_Gaming_Coming_to_Amazon_Fire_TV_Key_Art_text.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Microsoft’s Xbox TV app now available on Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks")
