Photo by Alex McCarthy on Unsplash
How did this happen?
A series of powerful explosions at the Nkoa Ntoma military base in Equatorial Guinea’s Bata has killed dozens of people, with the death toll expecting to rise further.
The blasts happened as a result of a breeze spreading a fire created by a farmer for food production preparation to nearby barracks where ammunition was being stored.
How severe are the impacts?
At least 98 have been killed and 615 injured, while almost all residences in Bata have been damaged. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by this catastrophe and have been desperate for blood donation.
How did the government respond?
The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang, has blamed the cause of this catastrophe on the carelessness of a military unit in charge of storing ammunition, dynamites and explosives.
He has responded to the blast by asking for international help whilst his vice president was seen at the site inspecting the damage.
This disaster comes amid a difficult time for Equatorial Guinea, coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic and a long-festering economic crisis.
Written by Jonah Kearns
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