Guinea deals with disaster after a petroleum warehouse explosion that injured 178 people
CONAKRY, Dec 19 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Guniea officials announced that 14 victims were killed and 178 others were injured in a petroleum warehouse explosion that occurred in the early morning of Dec 18 in the seaport area of the capital Conakry.
Currently, the authorities are accelerating the work of supporting victims and investigating the cause of the incident.
The explosion shook a large area of Kaloum district, causing extensive damage to surrounding facilities and leaving the city almost frozen. Schools were closed and workers were advised not to leave their homes as thick clouds of black smoke covered the sky.
Images shared on social networks show people fleeing the area where the explosion occurred. All injured people were taken to the hospital for treatment.
By the afternoon of Dec 18, firefighters had controlled the fire, but the atmosphere was still thick with a burning smell emitted by burned fuel. Security forces blocked the entire seaport area, while many residents near the explosion scene were evacuated.
Guinea has set up a crisis management unit to deal with this disaster. It is expected that foreign rescue forces such as Senegal and Mali will soon be present in Guinea to support the country.
Guinea does not exploit oil and has no refining capacity. This West African country imports refined products and concentrates them mainly at a warehouse in Kaloum, then trucks transport them across the country.
— NNN-AFRICANEWS
