Brazzaville, March 5: The toll in Sunday's arms depot blast here in the capital of the Republic of Congo has risen to 200, the country's presidential office said.
Citing hospital sources, an official from the presidency told Xinhua that around 200 people have been killed.
Many buildings in the city were destroyed, which forced thousands of people to flee, causing panic.
According to BBC, Defence Minister Charles Zacharie Bowao said the explosions were caused by a fire in an arms depot in the Regiment Blinde base in the riverside area of Mpila.
Bowao appeared on national TV and asked people to stay calm.
"The explosions that you have heard don't mean there is a war or a coup d'etat. Nor does it mean there was a mutiny. It is an incident...