Equatorial Guinea holds official funeral for victims of Bata explosions

Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-13 20:00:26|Editor: huaxia

People attend a funeral for people killed in a successive explosion in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on March 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Boyuan)

The government of Equatorial Guinea on Friday organized an official funeral in Bata for 107 victims in the explosions that rocked the country's most populous city on March 7.

YAOUNDE, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The government of Equatorial Guinea on Friday organized an official funeral in Bata for the more than 100 victims in the explosions that rocked the country's most populous city on March 7.

During the ceremony, the list of the 107 deceased was read. The coffins were all covered with the flag of Equatorial Guinea, and the presidential couple laid a wreath. Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue gave each victim a posthumous medal.

Coffins covered with the flags of Equatorial Guinea are seen at a funeral for people killed in a successive explosion in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on March 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Boyuan)

In his speech, Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo offered his condolences and reaffirmed the government's commitment to rebuilding the city. He called for the solidarity of the populations, and thanked countries like China which helped his country in this difficult period.

On March 7, explosive warehouses at the Nkoantoma military camp in Bata caught fire following a nearby farm fire, causing explosions. In addition to the 107 dead, the tragedy also left more than 600 injured.

According to a presidential decree issued on March 9, the city of Bata has been declared a disaster zone, and the government has released ten billion CFA francs (about 18.14 million U.S. dollars) as an initial emergency fund.

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