VICTORIA: Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan declared a state of emergency on Thursday, ordering people to stay at home after a blast at an explosives store and flooding due to heavy rain caused massive damage.
The blast happened in an industrial area in Mahe, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, causing massive damage at the site and to surrounding areas, the presidency said in a statement.
The archipelago is famous for its idyllic white beaches and high-end tourism although around 40% of the country’s 98,000 people live in poverty.
The presidency said that following a blast at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage and major destruction caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the president has declared a state of emergency for today, the 7 December, according to western media.
The statement added that all schools will be shut. Only workers in the essential services and persons travelling will be allowed free movement. This is to allow the emergency services to carry out necessary work.
The international airport is still open and ferry services between islands are operational for visitors, the tourism-dependent country said on its official Visit Seychelles account on X, formerly Twitter.
Seychelles media reported that heavy rains on Wednesday night caused massive damage in several areas of Mahe.
Photos on social media showed fallen trees, landslides, collapsed houses, and severe cracks along the surface of roads in Mahe.
Seychelles’ economy
A former British colony, the country is made up of 115 islands and as per the 2021 World Bank (WB) data is the richest African nation as measured by per capita gross domestic product (GDP), with tourism and fishing the biggest contributors to the economy.
However, the high cost of living means a number of people still live-in poverty.
