Seychelles declares, then lifts state of emergency after massive explosion hurts 66

Indian Ocean archipelagonation Seychelles on Thursday (Dec 7) declared a state ofemergency that lasted much of the day following a massive explosion that hurt 66 people. The office of Seychelles PresidentWavel Ramkalwan made the announcement on Thursday morning and said that the presidenthadordered all citizens, except workers for essential services, to stay at home.

"Following an explosion at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage... and major destruction caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the President has declared a State of Emergency for today the 7th December," the statement said as reported by the AFP.

"All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons travelling will be allowed free movement. This is to allow the emergency services to carry out essential work," the statement added.

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The state of emergency was lifted later in the day.

"As of now, the country is no longer in a state of emergency, which means that the shops can re-open and that normal movement of the public can resume, with the exception of the Providence industrial area," the president told reporters.

The explosion the presidentreferred to, took place in Providence industrial area in Mahe, which is the largest island in the Indian Ocean nation. The country is a tropical haven and is tourism-dependent.

According to the statement, the explosion caused "massive damage" to the Providence Industrial Zone and that the rains had resulted in "major destruction".

"I was shocked," says president

The explosion occurred before dawn. It was heard even several kilometres away. The shockwave smashed windows of nearby buildings.

"I was shocked when I arrived early in the morning. The police and the army (have taken) control of the area," Ramkalawan told a press briefing.

"Sixty-six people have been admitted to hospital," he said.

"Many people are in a state of shock, and we strive to provide them with psychological support," Ramkalawan said. He added that the blast could have resulted in many more casualties had it occurred during the daytime.

Seychelles is a former British colony and the archipelago is made up of 115 islands. As per 2021 data with the World Bank, it is the richest African country as measured by per capita GDP.

(With inputs from agencies)