Explosions in Brazzaville - an emergency occurred on March 4, 2012 in the capital of the Republic of the Congo, the city of Brazzaville .
| Brazzaville Explosions | |
|---|---|
| Type of | Explosion |
| Cause | short circuit |
| A country |  Republic of the Congo |
| A place | Brazzaville |
| date of | March 4, 2012 |
| Time | approximately 08:00 (local time) |
| Dead | 246 (according to authorities); more than 300 (according to Western media) |
| Injured | about 1500 |
Content
Incident
At approximately 8 a.m. local time, in the ammunition depot located at the Regiment Blinde military base located between Mpila blocks and Talangai , a fire broke out, resulting in a series of explosions. [one]
The cause of the fire will later be called a short circuit . [2] At the same time, Minister of Defense Charles Zakaria Boavo completely ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack or attack by external enemies. [3]
The detonation of shells stored in the warehouse provoked numerous fires in the city. [four]
Puffs of smoke were visible in Kinshasa , the capital of a neighboring state, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located on the opposite bank of the Congo River . [5] The DRC authorities interrupted the ferry service between Kinshasa and Brazzaville. [3]
The incident caused a panic among the population of Brazzaville, as many decided that a war had begun or a coup d'etat had taken place. [6] [7] Panic also arose in the Kinshasa population. [8]
In Brazzaville, a traffic collapse occurred, as many residents, panicked, were in a hurry to leave the city. In the hospitals of the city there was not enough space for all the victims. [7]
Due to the sharply increased loads in the city, telephone service was disconnected. [3]
Fearing looting , the country's authorities called on the population to remain calm, saying that the threat was over. [7]
Victims and Destruction
According to official figures, voiced by the government and state radio, 246 people died as a result of the incident [9] , however, Western media provide other figures - from 306 to 322 people who died. [10] [11] These figures are preliminary, since many residents died in their homes and were buried under the rubble. [12]
1340 people were injured. [eleven]
Among the victims - several Chinese citizens, workers of the Chinese construction company Beijing Construction Engineering Group, who worked at a construction site in the vicinity of the blast epicenter; Six Chinese workers died, one was reported missing, several dozen more were injured and were taken to hospital. [13] [14]
According to the official statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry , there are no Russians among the victims. [fifteen]
The emergency caused significant damage to the city. Houses in the immediate vicinity of the explosion site were completely destroyed by the blast wave ; the church was also destroyed, in which during the blast Mass was held and parishioners were. [7]
About five thousand people in Brazzaville were left homeless. [16] Also, three schools were destroyed by explosions. [10] [11]
Among the other buildings, the Russian embassy was damaged: glass was smashed in the diplomatic mission building, and the ceiling fell off in one of the rooms. The incident, however, did not interfere with the holding of a vote in the presidential election , which was held that day on the premises of the embassy. [8]
It is reported that the glasses were also smashed at a representative office of the Xinhua Chinese news agency. [17]
Even houses in neighboring Kinshasa were affected by the explosions: some of them had glass shattered by the blast wave. [6]
Mitigation
In the most affected areas of the city, a curfew was introduced and residents are evacuated. [6]
The government ordered the removal of all military facilities from the city (five military units are deployed in Brazzaville). [four]
Authorities appealed to international organizations for humanitarian assistance . [6]
France sent medical personnel to the Congo to assist the victims and 2.5 tons of medicines. [eighteen]
Assistance is also provided to specialists from Italy , Morocco , Sao Tome and Principe , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . [eleven]
Condolences to D. A. Medvedev
Russian President D. A. Medvedev sent a telegram to Congo President Denis Sass-Nguesso , in which he expressed his condolences regarding the tragedy:
| With a feeling of deep empathy, I learned about the tragic incident in the capital of the Republic of the Congo, the city of Brazzaville - explosions in an ammunition depot that caused a large number of human victims. [19] |
See also
- Fire at a military warehouse in Abadan
- en: Lagos armory explosion
- en: 2007 Maputo arms depot explosion
Sources
Notes
- ↑ The reason for the explosion at a military warehouse in the Congo was a short circuit
- ↑ Congo warehouse explosions thunder due to short circuit
- ↑ 1 2 3 In Congo, shells blew up hundreds of people
- ↑ 1 2 Short circuit caused explosions in warehouses in Congo
- ↑ At least 150 people were killed in explosions in the capital of the Congo Brazzaville
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 The reason for the explosion, which killed about 200 people and hooked the Russian embassy in the Congo, is established.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Shells blew up the capital
- ↑ 1 2 The cause of the explosion at military depots in the Congo was a short circuit.
- ↑ The number of victims of explosions in a military depot in the Republic of the Congo has reached 246
- ↑ 1 2 300 people killed in an explosion in Congo
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Journalists counted more than 300 victims of an explosion in Congo
- ↑ Congo bombings exceeded 200
- ↑ 6 Chinese were killed in an explosion in Congo / B /, one missing
- ↑ Victims of bombings at a military base in Congo became 200
- ↑ MFA: Russians not injured in a series of bombings in Congo
- ↑ As a result of a series of explosions in the capital of the Republic of Congo, 300 people died (inaccessible link)
- ↑ Congo bombings “offended” the Russian embassy where the vote is taking (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment March 5, 2012. Archived March 5, 2012.
- ↑ France sends doctors to Congo to help victims of explosions
- ↑ Medvedev expressed his condolences to the leader of the Congo