Seychelles still reeling from effects of two disastrous incidents in one night By Patsy Canaya |09 December 2023
The demolished house where the adult woman and her twelve-year-old grandson lost their lives
Seven persons remain admitted to the Seychelles Hospital, with one in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit, two days after a massive explosion at Petit Paris, Cascade which damaged several homes and buildings, and injured many people.
According to the police, the blast reported shortly after 2am, originated at the Civil Construction Company Limited (CCCL) and initial report indicates it was due to explosives used for quarrying work.
The massive blast obliterated the company’s headquarters in Petit Paris, creating a deep crater in the area, sending shockwaves in the nearby region, shattering glass windows, doors, roofs, ceiling of nearby houses in Cascade, as well as buildings in the Providence industrial estate, and as far as Pointe Larue Airport.
The blast forced many families to evacuate their homes and seek refuge either in temporary shelters such as schools established by the district administration office or with family members from other districts.
According to the chief executive of the Health Care Agency, Dr Danny Louange, a total of 178 people received medical treatment at its different centres; namely 81 at Casualty, 53 at the English River Health Centre and 44 at the Anse Royale Health Centre. Two patients were discharged after surgery and seven were admitted, said Dr Louange.
It should be noted that the health service had earlier announced the closure of its SOPD clinics, and limited access to its districts and regional health centres, which remained open to cater primarily for emergencies only. Speaking to Seychelles NATION yesterday, Dr Louange said they had resumed normal operations in all their health centres.
Earlier in the night, the attention was directed to the northern region, mainly Glacis, Le Niole, Beau Vallon and Bel Ombre which was hit by a torrential rainstorm leading to heavy flooding and landslides which caused the death of three persons – two from Le Niole namely an adult woman and her twelve-year-old grandson who died after a landslide razed their house and a 71-year-old woman in Bel Ombre who was swept away in a landslide that destroyed her house and ended up in a river.
In a televised press conference on Thursday, the head of state expressed messages of comfort to the families affected in the two calamities and called on the people to rally in unity to assist those in need during the unprecedented events in the country’s history.
The Office of the President had earlier imposed a state of emergency to allow the local emergency authorities to attend to the victims. The state of emergency was lifted at 6pm on Thursday.
Photos by Patrick Joubert/contributed
