Soldiers face charges of homicide in E. Guinea
Two soldiers will face charges of homicide and negligence after a massive explosion at a military camp claimed more than 100 lives in Equatorial Guinea in March.
CAPE TOWN, June 14 (ANA) – Two soldiers will face charges of homicide and negligence after a massive explosion at a military camp claimed more than 100 lives in Equatorial Guinea in March, French news agency AFP reported on Sunday, citing the prosecutor’s office.
On March 7, a series of explosions were recorded at the armoury of the Nkuantoma gendarmerie and military barracks in Bata, the economic capital of Equatorial Guinea.
According to official records, 107 people were killed in the explosions, which also caused extensive damage to residential areas and in the military compound.
More than 700 people were wounded, including women and children in the army barracks as well as in the residential areas near the military compound, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
The main and newly constructed hospital also suffered significant damages, including the only Covid-19 testing laboratory in Bata.
Initial assessments by the National Red Cross estimated that some 3,900 people were directly affected, and significant damage was caused to the infrastructure, including health, water and sanitation, and schools, as well as on essential infrastructure for food supply and livelihoods.
The recently concluded Multisectorial Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) suggested that physical damage from these explosions could have a direct impact on approximately 19,000 people, according to the UN agency.
“Local and international humanitarian actors are supporting thousands of affected people to meet their basic needs, largely drawing on existing capacities and supplies,” OCHA said in a statement.
A UN Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) team has been mobilised to support response efforts on intersectoral co-ordination, assessment and information management, it said.
OCHA said a comprehensive and effective response to this emergency will require three phases of activity. The first phase will prioritise life-saving responses and protection of the most vulnerable people.
The second phase will deliver recovery and reconstruction interventions to restore public infrastructure, rehabilitate private accommodations and establish a long-term economic recovery plan. A third phase of interventions is not included in this immediate response and recovery plan.
The government of Equatorial Guinea is planning the reconstruction of the military base and the improvement of the design of the ammunition storage infrastructures in the military bases across the country, preferably through underground construction, to ensure public safety and to avoid future accidents.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
