JUST IN: Huge explosion rocks oil terminal in Conakry, Guinea

There was a tragic incident in Guinea’s capital Conakry on Monday, December 18, 2023, when a blast occurred at an oil terminal near the city center, with at least eleven people killed.

The explosion caused a massive fire that engulfed the terminal and nearby buildings, killing almost eleven people and injuring 88 others, according to the head of civil protection.

Some varying media reports, however, placed the number of injured people in the accident from 84 to 100.

The cause of the blast is still unknown as at the moment of this publication, and the extent of the damage is unclear.

The government has warned that the incident could have a direct impact on the country’s population, as the terminal is a vital source of fuel and energy for the nation.

The explosion blew out the windows of nearby houses in Conakry, forcing hundreds of residents to flee the area for safety.

The authorities have ordered schools in the city to close and urged workers to stay at home as the fire broke out at around midnight local time and was still raging hours later.

Eight charred bodies were brought to the morgue of the Ignace Deen hospital, according to a senior official at the facility who spoke to AFP news agency.

The government has ordered the evacuation of residents in the area as the blaze and billowing black smoke could be seen miles away, Reuters news agency reports.

Government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo told the BBC that he could not confirm casualty figures because “we still haven’t finished counting the number of victims”.

A crisis unit has been set up under the prime minister to deal with the fire, and its aftermath, he said.

The gutted oil depot was “strategically very important”, as it supplied fuel to almost of the country, Mr Diallo added.

More updates on the development will follow…

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