The head of the military in power in Guinea, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, announced, Wednesday evening, December 20, a three-day national mourning in tribute to the victims of the deadly explosion and fire at the country’s main fuel depot in Conakry . Despite the announcement of the “at least” reopening of offices, the city center of the capital was still paralyzed on Wednesday after the tragedy that occurred during the night from Sunday to Monday.
“Faced with this painful ordeal, I decree a three-day national mourning starting Thursday” in tribute to the 18 dead and more than 200 people injured in the disaster, Colonel Doumbouya declared in a speech on Guinean public television. , who in September 2021 overthrew President Alpha Condé who had been in power for more than ten years.
The commune of Kaloum, the nerve center of business in Conakry, was hit hard during the night by the explosion which caused significant material damage and shut down the economy. At the office of Galaxie Communication, a company specializing in communication and consulting, it’s desolation. “It’s crazy what happened there. Look at these windows. Look at my desk. Imagine if this explosion had happened in the middle of the day, on a business day? », asks Mamadou Dian Diallo, the general director.
Nearby, the seven-story building that houses the Guinean Advertising Office has the appearance of a disemboweled skeleton. The windows have been blown out and employees are busy sweeping the offices littered with broken windows and pieces of wood.
In the Coronthie district, epicenter of the explosion, even the central prison of Conakry with its wall of more than ten meters was not spared by the violence of the explosion. There were 33 injured, including four serious, said Tuesday evening Charles Alphonse Wright, the Minister of Justice who visited the scene.
Sharp increase in gasoline prices
A judicial investigation into alleged acts of “arson” was opened by the Attorney General to determine the causes of the incident and attempt to establish responsibilities. No information is currently available on the origin of the fire.
International reactions and signs of solidarity continued to flow in on Wednesday. Pope Francis expressed his “closeness to the families of the deceased and to the injured.” “May God support them and keep them in hope,” he said during his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union commission, on Wednesday expressed “his sincere condolences and deep compassion” to the families of the victims of the explosion. The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its part asked the member countries of the organization and the international community “to provide their support to Guinea in these difficult times” . Of 212 people admitted to health structures, 127 have returned home, 85 are still hospitalized, including four in intensive care, the government said Tuesday evening.
Conakry also announced the resumption of diesel supplies in the country, although the restriction on tanker trucks will be maintained. Drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers invaded the stations on Wednesday morning to demand gasoline in several localities. As a result, most gas stations remained closed for fear of being attacked, AFP noted, leading to a sharp increase in the price of gasoline on the black market.
