Huge explosion and deadly flooding rock Seychelles: summary

What we know

• Over 100 individuals sustained injuries following an explosion at the explosive store of Civil Construction Company Ltd. (CCCL) amid flooding in the Providence Industrial area.
• The Health Care Agency says there were 178 casualties.
• Out of this number, 81 were taken in by the Seychelles Hospital while 53 were taken in at the English River Heath Centre and 44 to the Anse Royale Health, Seychelles News Agency reports.
• President Wavel Ramkalawan has declared a state of emergency and launched investigations into the occurrence. 

What they said

"We were all shocked in the early morning to hear a loud explosion, which was heard in the northern districts. I was then informed that it was not thunder but it was all the explosives stored at CCCL that are used for blasting that had exploded. Different agencies went to Petit Paris and they were shocked by what they saw. We will leave no stone unturned until we get to the root of the cause…We will also hold talks with CCCL and UCPS to discuss moving their explosives storage somewhere else. There is another assessment that needs to be done on the damages after what happened and what people have lost, we will see how the government together with all Seychellois that would like to make a contribution, we will be able to help these people. I am also asking banks to consider people hit with the events as special cases and not to charge them high interest on loans," said Ramkalawan at a press briefing.