A strong explosion near a gold mining site in southwestern Burkina Faso killed 59 people and injured more than 100 others Monday, February 21, 2022, the national broadcaster and witnesses reported.
The provisional toll was provided by regional authorities following the blast in the village of Gbomblora, RTB reported. The explosion was believed to have been caused by chemicals used to treat gold that were stocked at the site.
“I saw bodies everywhere. It was horrible,” Sansan Kambou, a forest ranger who was at the site during the explosion, told The Associated Press by phone.
The first blast happened around 2 p.m., with more explosions following as people ran for their lives, he said.
