Seychelles declares state of emergency after explosion

President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan has declared a state of emergency in the island country after a massive blast at an explosives store in the providence industrial zone in Mahé amid heavy rains.

In a statement issued on the 7th of December,2023, President Ramkalawan has ordered all citizens to stay at home and schools to be closed with the exception of essential workers and persons travelling.

Citizens are also advised to cooperate with the police and emergency services to ease their essential work.

Amid heavy rains and flooding, the blast left a trail of destruction and a number of people injured.The international airport which is miles away was also affected.

“The Seychelles international Airport is still operational and ferry services between islands are operating for visitors,” the country’s official account said on X.

Seychelles is located in the Somali Sea segment of the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar and east of Kenya. The Island nation consists of 115 named islands with an estimated population size of 100,600.