A fire broke out at an ammunition depot in Chad, causing a massive explosion that killed and injured people, senior government ministers said.
Foreign Minister Kulamala Abderrahman said the fire broke out at a military base in the capital's N'Djamena District.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby expressed condolences to the victims and their families, without specifying the number of victims.
Video, which has not been confirmed by the BBC, shows an explosion lighting up the night sky.
Witnesses said the sound could be heard miles away.
AFP news agency reporters said the fire caused weapons to be launched into the air.
“Ammunition of all calibers exploded,” said a French official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One resident told Reuters he saw three people injured on the street, while another said his neighbor had been killed.
“A loud explosion woke us up,” said Moustapha Adoum Mahamat.
“The house was shaking as if someone had shot at us,” he said. “Then there was a big fire at the military base and I saw smoke and things exploding in the air,” he said.
“We could see the artillery flying over us.”
Foreign Minister and government spokesman Koulamallah Abderaman urged the public to remain calm after the explosion.
“Peace to the souls of the victims and my sincere condolences to their grieving families,” President Deby wrote on Facebook.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and the president has promised an investigation.
