An accidental explosion at Mbagala Military Base near Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) has killed at least eleven people and injured hundred. The blasts on April 29 lasted for about two hours and paralysed activities in the city for nearly six hours. The army camp lies 14km outside the city centre, just inside a residential neighbourhood. The armoury contained large amounts of ordnance, including mines and artillery shells.

The blast caused mass panic and flashbacks of the deadly 1998 US Embassy bombing. Mbagala residents fled their houses as they were rocked by falling bombs and caught fire. More than 100 people were injured and taken to Temeke District Hospital. Another 300 people received medical attention at a camp set up at Mbagala Saba Saba. One child drowned jumping into a river in the panic and many more have still not been reunited with parents.

Thieves took advantage of the mayhem and looted the army barracks and surrounding civilian homes. Two young men were arrested and were found to be in possession of ten explosive devices. The stolen explosives are live and dangerous. The police and the army also collected large quantities of live explosives that were thrown from the base and could cause more harm in the nearby residential area.

The Tanzanian Government has appointed a team to investigate the cause of the explosions. It is unclear if the blasts were caused by an external fire or by the detonation of anti-aircraft rockets as being hauled out of the armoury. Tanzania is preparing to deploy troops and equipment to Darfur (Sudan) as part of African Union/United Nations peacekeeping mission.

This is the second accidental explosion in Tanzania after a similar incident occurred at Gongolamboto a few years ago. Peter Boswell McOmalla, Chief Coordinator of the Tanzania National Action Network on Small Arms (TANANSA) said: “during the last UN Biennial Meeting of States in New York, Tanzania and other UN Member States agreed to review their national stockpile management policies and practices, including the relocation of small arms and light weapons storage depots, where necessary. This accidental blast shows that the Tanzanian Government needs to implement the measures agreed during the BMS, which in this case means moving Mbagala Army Base away from the residential neighbourhood. Houses should ideally be located 5km from military facilities.”