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A day after the devastating explosions at a military base in Central Africa’s Equatorial Guinea, the death toll has risen significantly. 98 people were killed, the government announced Monday night. There are also 615 injured. Authorities had previously spoken of at least 30 deaths.
SN / APA (AFP / TVGE) / –
Television images of the explosions.
The four explosions occurred on Sunday in the city of Bata at the Nkoa Ntoma military base, where the special forces are staying. According to the authorities, several weapons and ammunition depots exploded. The head of state, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, spoke of “an accident due to negligence.” According to the Defense Ministry, the large-caliber ammunition explosions unleashed pressure waves that destroyed many homes.
Equatorial Guinea, located in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa and south of Cameroon, is one of the most isolated states in Africa. The 78-year-old head of state, Obiang Nguema, has been in power there for almost 42 years. The opposition and international organizations repeatedly accuse him of human rights violations. According to government information, a coup was foiled in 2017; Two years later, 130 people were sentenced to life imprisonment, some of them for life.
Bata is the largest city in the country rich in oil and gas, but where the vast majority of the population lives in poverty. About 800,000 of the 1.4 million residents live in Bata.
Retrieved March 8, 2021 at 9:36 am from https://www.sn.at/panorama/international/fast-100-tote-bei-explosion-in-aequatorialguinea-100794049
