March, 9th, 2021 Explosions in Equatorial Guinea over the weekend have risen the death toll from 15 to 98, officials say.
Another 615 persons were injured, with 299 still in hospital.
According to police, badly stored dynamite in the city of Bata alongside stubble burning by nearby farmers led to the blast in the military base.
The death toll, updated following a volunteer search for bodies in the wrecked buildings of the city. Three young children were found alive, and were taken to hospital.
According to President Teodoro Obiang, almost all buildings and homes in the city suffered huge damage.
He said the base had “caught fire due to neighbouring farmers clearing farming land by setting it alight, leading to the explosion“. The president has appealed for international aid.