Explosions rock Dar es Salaam.

29 Apr, 2009

At least three people have been killed and hundreds more injured in a series of explosions at an ammunitions depot in Dar es Salaam.

The blasts occurred around lunchtime on 29 April at an armoury next to the army camp in Mbagala around 14 km south of the city centre. Numerous buildings in the vicinity were destroyed or caught fire as a result of the explosions.

The impact of the blasts could be felt across much of the city, evoking for many people the terrorist bombing of the US embassy building in August 1998 in which 11 people died. However officials said the explosions were an accident.

Workers in the city were advised to vacate their offices or evacuated spontaneously, creating havoc on roads leading out of town. On the morning of 30 April the city centre was reported to be fairly quiet.

The cause of the explosions remains unclear.