A new toll reports at least fourteen people killed and 190 others injured in the fire that ravaged the center of Conakry, the Guinean capital, following the explosion of the country’s main fuel depot. This disaster has paralyzed the city and caused significant material damage.
The number of deaths has been confirmed at 14, including Guinean and foreign citizens. Rescue efforts, as well as Conakry hospitals, have taken care of the 190 injured, with 113 of them able to return to their families, according to a government statement broadcast on national television on Monday evening.
The material damage caused by the explosion is being assessed by an investigation commission, while firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the night and much of the day to control the fire, which was finally contained in the afternoon, according to authorities.
In response to the situation, the government has declared the closure of schools and recommended that workers in the public and private sectors stay at home in the greater Conakry region, encompassing the capital and its surroundings.
The port area has been secured with checkpoints erected over several kilometers by security forces. A crisis cell led by the Minister of Security, Bachir Diallo, has been established, and a health emergency plan has been activated to take care of the injured, as stated by the Ministry of Information.
Since September 2021, Guinea has been under the rule of a junta led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, who overthrew President Alpha Condé.