Seychelles Declares Emergency After Heavy Flooding, Massive Blast at Explosives Depot
© AP Photo / Emilie Chetty
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“This is a first for Seychelles,” the president told reporters.
A state of emergency was temporarily declared by the president of Seychelles on Thursday after the country was hit with deadly flooding and a major blast at an explosives depot just hours later.
The flooding killed a reported three people and nearly 200 were injured in the explosion. No deaths have been reported from the blast thus far, but one person was reported to be in intensive care.
Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan has detailed the explosion occurred on the main island of Mahé and caused “massive damage” in the area of Providence and injured at least 178 people. Providence is located around 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) southwest of the capital of Victoria.
The company where the blast took place is the Civil Construction Company Limited. According to reports, Ramkalawan said there had been concerns for at least 10 years regarding the stock of explosives and how they were stored. The company provides Crusher and quarry products, according to their website.
Earlier footage shows the destruction caused by the explosion in the Providence Industrial area, Seychelles 🇸🇨 | 7 December 2023 | #explosion #Seychelles #destruction pic.twitter.com/DAUFf85qGC
— Disaster Tracker (@DisasterTrackHQ) December 7, 2023
"Four containers of explosives blew off... My heart is heavy right now and I know many families are being affected. I was shocked to see Providence, Petit Paris and Cascade in such a state. It was as if we went through a war," Ramkalawan told reporters.
“In order for us to put this under the microscope, in order for us to allow the police to do their investigation without people interfering,” he added. “I felt it was necessary for us to have a state of emergency.”
At 6 p.m. local time the state of emergency was lifted by the president.
The blast damaged commercial buildings and offices, as well as some homes in the area and left a 42-foot (13-meter) gorge in the ground. The international airport, which is located 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away, was also damaged in the blast. Schools were shut down and hospitals were also closed except for emergencies.
Aerial footage of the aftermath after the explosion at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage to the Providence Industrial area, Seychelles 🇸🇨 | 7 December 2023 | #explosion #Seychelles pic.twitter.com/a5rylxApRl
— Disaster Tracker (@DisasterTrackHQ) December 7, 2023
The blast hit the archipelago, which is made up of 115 islands, at about 2 a.m. on Thursday, just hours after heavy rain and flooding which came ashore late Wednesday. The deadly flooding impacted the northern part of Mahe and flooded homes, destroying infrastructure as landslides hit in some areas. At least two of the three people who died in the flooding had been trapped in their homes at the time.
A deluge from the flooding also swept sewage into the ocean, and residents are being advised not to swim in the waters.
The airport is still operational, and the ferry services continue to operate between islands for visitors, the country’s account said on X. Made up of a little more than 100,000 people, Seychelles is reliant on tourism for its economy and is considered one of the most prosperous countries in Africa.
The Seychelles explosion has brought comparisons to the 2020 blast in Lebanon that decimated the Port of Beirut, killing hundreds and leaving thousands of others injured.
The explosion was caused by nearly 3,000 tonnes of improperly stored ammonium nitrate that had been seized by authorities and placed in warehouses.
