Witnesses say they heard multiple explosions shortly after huge flames engulfed the armoury at the military base[/caption] Loud explosions were heard on Wednesday dawn at the armoury of the Michel Camp Barracks, the base of the First Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces. Witnesses say they heard a loud noise shortly after huge flames engulfed the armoury at the military base in Tema, in the Greater Accra Region. A junior military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Base Ammunition Depot (BAD), as it is known, holds a large consignment of explosives. The fire is said to have started a little after midnight, followed by the loud explosions. ”I stood by my window to witness everything. My husband rushed out to check because initially, we thought it was one our neighbour’s house on fire. So he came back to confirm it was actually the arms depot…” a nursing mother narrated. No death has been reported. Military chiefs from the Ghana Armed Forces say they are unsure what triggered the fire. Firefighters battled the fire for at least two hours before bringing the situation under control.

Photo (above): An explosive from the armoury hit this wooden structure that serves as home for a resident. Joy News reporter, Ewoenam Atiamoah-Eli, who has been at the scene said at least three homes were hit by flying explosives.
Fused out Moses Dawutey, a freelance Defence Reporter, explains that some small arms and high explosives were affected by the fire. “Some of the high explosives fused out towards Gulf City (a residential area close to the barracks) and the vibration alone was enough to cause cracks in buildings but it didn’t denote…it just fused out,” he said. While the fire was raging, soldiers were deployed from the barracks to ensure that the fire did not spread to the high explosives compartment of the armoury, he told Myjoyonline.com.