2021 Bata explosions

2021 Bata explosions
Map
Date7 March 2021
Time
  • First explosion:
    Around 14:00 WAT (13:00 UTC)
  • Last significant explosion:
    Around 16:00 WAT (15:00 UTC)
LocationCuartel Militar de Nkoantoma, Bata, Equatorial Guinea
Coordinates1°49′05″N 9°48′37″E / 1.81806°N 9.81028°E / 1.81806; 9.81028
CauseNegligently stored dynamite and other explosives (suspected)
Deaths108
Non-fatal injuries615+

During the afternoon of 7 March 2021, a series of four explosions occurred at a military barracks in the neighborhood of Nkoantoma, a district of Bata, Equatorial Guinea. At least 107 people died, and more than 600 others were injured, while significant infrastructural damage also occurred throughout the city.

Equatoguinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo attributed the disaster to negligently stored explosives on the base that detonated after nearby farmers cleared their fields by setting them on fire. However, human rights groups and the Associated Press have cast doubt on Obiang's theory, as there was no evidence of farming nearby.