Ammo explodes at Tanzania dump site; deaths feared
By SUKHDEV CHHATBAR – 2 hours ago
ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) - Huge blasts rocked an ammunition dump at an army camp in Tanzania's commercial capital on Wednesday, officials said.
Several people were feared dead, according to police spokesman Mohamed Mhina. The blasts lasted for about two hours and fires were still burning two hours after that, he said.
Local media reports said houses around the military base were on fire and several people had been injured. Local schools have called parents to come pick up their children. The blast rattled windows in houses 37 miles (60 kilometers) away, said resident Kate Esmail.
William Nchimbi, the deputy defense minister, said bombs, bullets and other ammunition exploded in an armory at the Bagala Army Camp in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam.
"We have formed a team to assess the source and the loss incurred," Nchimbi told journalists in the northeastern town of Arusha, where he was attending a regional leaders' meeting. He did not take any questions.
Ammunition dumps are volatile and easily ignited. The Bagala Army Camp is surrounded by civilian homes but is far from downtown Dar es Salaam.
Associated Press writer Tom Maliti in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.
The Associated Press: Ammo explodes at Tanzania dump site; deaths feared