A horrific blast at an oil terminal in the capital of Guinea, Conakry, resulted in eight deaths. A senior police officer reported that at least 84 people got injured in the blast. The officer added that the number of injured individuals was yet to be confirmed and the authorities have contained the blaze.
The incident took place at the only oil terminal in the West African nation and jolted the Kaloum administrative district in downtown Conakry. The windows of nearby homes were blown out and hundreds of people were forced to flee the area.
Firefighters rushed to the area where a huge fire and billowing black smoke were visible from miles away. Police and soldiers escorted several tanker trucks from the depot.
The situation has caused a disruption in the operations of educational institutes and working-class people as the government announced to keep all the schools closed in the capital and asked workers not to leave their homes.
Officials said that the cause of the fire remained unknown. They added that the entire population might bear the consequences of the blast.