2021 Bata explosions
 | |
| Date | 7 March 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | ~15:00 (1st explosion) ~17:00 (4th explosion) |
| Location | Bata, Equatorial Guinea |
| Cause | Negligence related to use of dynamite and other explosives |
| Deaths | 98 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 615+ |
During the afternoon of 7 March 2021, a series of four explosions occurred at a military barracks in the Nkoantoma district of Bata, the largest city and former capital of Equatorial Guinea.
Explosions
Four explosions occurred at a local military base. The first three blasts occurred in succession around 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT), with the first being the strongest.[1] The fourth explosion occurred two hours after the first detonation.[1] The explosions caused significant damage to the areas surrounding the military base. Almost all buildings and homes in the city suffered huge damage. Both dead and wounded people were reported in several nearby parts of the city.[1]
Casualties
At least 98 people died during the explosions and 615 more were wounded.[2] The Ministry of Health declared a "health emergency" due to the presumption that there were several more people dead and missing under the rubble. Of the wounded, more than 300 were admitted to the Nuevo Inseso Hospital; more than 150 at the Bata General Hospital; and more than 70 at the La Paz Hospital.[3][4]
Aftermath
In a televised statement to the nation, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo blamed the explosions on neighbouring farmers clearing farming land by setting it alight, leading to the explosion of improperly stored munitions on the nearby military base,[4] and said that almost all of the city's buildings had suffered damage. In the same address he also requested international assistance. In the immediate aftermath, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue travelled to the site of the explosion to assess the situation.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Una cadena de explosiones causa 17 muertos y 420 heridos en Guinea Ecuatorial" (in Spanish). SwissInfo. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Death toll from devastating Equatorial Guinea blasts jumps to 98". Al Jazeera. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Bata explosion: Equatorial Guinea death toll rises to 98". BBC. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Bearak, Max (7 March 2021). "Death toll soars to 98 after arms depot explosions in Equatorial Guinea's largest city". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Comunicado presidencial sobre el incendio ocurrido en el Cuartel Militar de Nkoantoma Página Web Institucional de Guinea Ecuatorial.
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