Guinea: fire at Conakry fuel depot "completely extinguished" (government)

The Guinean government has announced that the fire at the country's main oil depot, which killed 24 people and injured 454 according to a new report, was "completely extinguished" nine days after it started, according to a statement sent to AFP on Wednesday.

"Cooling operations in all segments of the oil facility are continuing. However, the area affected by the fire remains closed to the public for investigation purposes", the government said.

The fire has so far been brought under control, but has not been extinguished.

The death toll has risen to 24, of which 11 bodies remain unidentified, the statement said. Reports of missing persons are continuing.

Of the 454 injured people admitted to medical facilities since the disaster, 31 are still in hospital and 423 have returned to their families.

In terms of air quality, readings in Kaloum show an improvement in the indicators, but the wearing of masks remains recommended, according to the government.

On Saturday, the government resumed the distribution of petrol, rationing it at 25 litres per vehicle and 5 litres per motorbike and tricycle, with a ban on serving cans.

Tanker traffic resumed under escort, particularly from neighbouring Sierra Leone.

An initial survey had counted 800 damaged buildings, most of them within 500 metres of the epicentre of the fire. 460 households have benefited from food kits distributed by the government, and distribution is continuing to cover the 2,141 households affected, the statement said. In all, more than 11,000 people were directly affected by the fire.