Thirteen people have been killed and 178 others injured in a powerful explosion and fire at the main fuel depot in Guinea's capital Conakry early on Monday.
"The provisional midday assessment is that 13 bodies have been brought to health facilities and 178 injured of Guinean and foreign nationalities", the government said in a statement.
The explosion at the West African nation's main oil terminal rocked the Kaloum administrative district in downtown Conakry, blowing out the windows of several nearby homes and forcing hundreds to flee, according to a witness who spoke to Reuters.
A huge fire and billowing black smoke were seen from miles away as firefighters rushed to the area, while several tanker trucks left the depot, escorted by soldiers and police.
Guinea is not an oil producer, and has no oil refining capacity. It imports refined products, which are mostly stored in the Kaloum terminal and distributed via trucks across the country. The extent of the damage to the terminal is unclear for now.
Direct impact
The country has a small oil depot at the port in Kamsar, north of Conakry, which is mostly used by mining firms.
Later on Monday, a thick column of smoke and some flames were still visible after firefighters brought the fire under control.
The cause of the fire was unknown, the government said in a statement, adding that an investigation will be launched to establish who might be responsible.
"The government expresses its deep concern about this event, the scale and consequences of which could have a direct impact on the population," the statement said.
It urged people to stay at home and said schools would be closed.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
