Fuel Depot Blast Causes Injuries In Guinea's Capital

Conakry, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Dec, 2023) Guinean authorities closed schools and urged workers to stay home in the capital Monday after a blaze erupted at the country's main fuel depot, causing several injuries.

The explosion and accompanying fire in Conakry sent thick black clouds of smoke into the sky early Monday as residents fled the area where the blast occurred, images on social networks showed.

The blaze broke out shortly after midnight near the port, according to local media and residents contacted by AFP.

"Private and public sector workers are asked to stay home" and "public and private schools have been closed", the government said in a statement later Monday.

The cause of the fire is unknown, officials said, and its "scale and consequences could have a direct impact on the population".

A doctor and local residents told AFP that dozens of people were injured.