Hundreds hurt by Tanzania blast | ||
More than 300 people, some critically injured, remain in hospital a day after the massive armoury explosion near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's biggest city. Officials said the death toll has risen to 11, including six army officers killed at the ammunition dump. One child drowned jumping into a river in the panic and hundreds more have still not been reunited with parents.Investigations are under way into the cause of the blast next to the military base on the outskirts of the city. President Jakaya Kikwete visited the Mbagala ordnance depot on Thursday, a day after the blast which caused mass panic and flashbacks of the deadly 1998 US Embassy bombing in the country's main commercial centre Dar es Salaam police commander Suleiman Kova told journalists: "The death toll may be higher since we are still compiling reports and search is going on in collapsed and burnt down buildings," reported AFP news agency. Criminals took advantage of the mayhem to loot the army barracks and surrounding civilian homes, said the authorities. The BBC's Vicky Ntetema says more than 1,000 people were injured, a third of whom were admitted in various hospitals with multiple injuries. She visited two temporary camps set up by the Red Cross on the outskirts of the city to reunite missing children with their parents where nearly 300 youngsters remained unaccounted for this morning.Our correspondent says many parents are still desperately looking for their children. Some children fled for more than 15km (nine miles) after they were advised by the police and army to leave Mbagala township for their own safety. The armory next to the army camp, which lies 14km (nine miles) outside the city centre, is thought to have contained large amounts of mines and artillery shells. A number of homes in residential areas were destroyed by raining fiery debris. One person was reportedly killed by shrapnel about 15km from the ammunition dump. This was a scary day... When you are not informed of what is going on and all you hear is bombing... Nick was in town in a meeting.. the kids in school, I home alone. At first we thought it was thunder but then it was too loud and too much... the house was shaking and the widows rattling. Nick phoned and told me that they could hear it and that the armory was going up so we didn't know what it was, if it was an attack or what... so I was going to go to the kids at least.. I got the money, passports and locked the house, on my way to get a taxi and my friend called and said it was near the airport that the kids were ok at the school and she would bring them home for me if Nick couldn't make it home by then. I was on the phone with my mom and I was really scared. I thought it was closer than what it was. It is amazing how scared you can get when you have no warning of what is happening. | ||
