A man has died and various houses burned when a munitions store of the Division Four Infantry exploded in Damazin town in Sudan’s Blue Nile state Thursday.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosion at Hai El Nasr took place at 9:15 in the evening, resulting in 30 houses burnt and the displacement of nearby civilians.
“The local authorities tried to calm down the situation by using microphones at night, but most of the citizens at the affected residential areas refused to return back home,” said one source speaking to Radio Tamazuj.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Colonel El Sawarmi Khalid Saad confirmed the explosion in a press statement.
He said that the fire affected houses near the military base in Damazin, but no casualties were reported.
He attributed the incident to electrical fault and said he did not suspect foul play. However, he said investigations are underway to conclusively determine the cause.
El Sawarmi said that the security situation is calm in the town.