Sudan: some 24 persons killed in an ammunition warehouse explosion

A warehouse for ammunition went off in a military training center in Jouba town to the south of Sudan on Wednesday and this resulted in killing 24 persons with the fall of artillery shells on large parts of the city.

The official spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces al-Abbas Abdul Rahman al-Khaleifa said that "a fire erupted in one of the ammunition warehouses in Jouba city on Wednesday that resulted in explosions of ammunition and the scatter of shells." It was ruled out to be an "act of sabotage" by any group.

A statement by the Sudanese ministry of the interior said that "the increase in temperature resulted in the explosion of a warehouse for ammunition in Jouba city and this resulted in killing 24 persons." It added that five persons were injured, adding that the explosions lasted for one and half hours and burned an area known as the market of al-Jamarek ( customs ) to the west of the town, and inflected damages in several governmental areas and offices. It indicated that the situation is under control.