A military tank exploded inside the Army’s Division One Command in Renk in Upper Nile State on Sunday morning causing panic.
State Information Minister and the official spokesman James Pasha, who visited the site, told Radio Tamazuj that the explosion inside the First Division Command of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSDF) caused fear and panic among citizens.
“There was fear and panic in Renk because of an explosion that shook the Army First Division at around 2:45am on Sunday. We were together with the Commissioner of Renk and we contacted the command of Division 1, who explained what happened,” he said.
The minister explained that the explosion, according to initial information, was caused by high temperatures. He pointed out that an investigation committee would begin work to determine the causes of the explosion, indicating that it did not cause any injuries or damage to property.
“We visited the scene of the incident and we found the military tank that caught fire and exploded. We are yet to find out what caused the explosion, but one of the officers said the incident was caused by heat because the tank was not covered in this hot weather where many have been grounded for a long time,” he said.
He pointed out that the general situation in the Renk city was stable.
Renk County Commissioner Akoch Jol Achiek told Radio Tamazuj that his administration was following up on the incident, noting that he received assurances from the army division leadership that the situation was under control.
“After the incident after 2:45am, I spoke with the acting division commander who informed me about what happened. In the morning, I went there and found the tank was still on fire. We also assured the public that the situation was under control,” he said.
The commissioner pointed out that what was circulated on social media is inaccurate and exaggerated, explaining that there was no loss of life or damage to property.
“It is good for the public to consume information from credible sources and mainstream media outlets like Radio Tamazuj and Eye Radio,” he said.
The local official reassured the residents that the situation was stable and there was no need for fear and panic. He revealed that efforts would be made by the county, the state and the national governments to move the army division outside the city.
“The incident caused fear and panic especially among women and children. There should be a plan to relocate the army garrison from residential areas. It used to be far from the civilian areas but the city has expanded and the garrison is now within it,” he said.
Adam Monyjok, who lives near the garrison, said the situation began to return to normal after the local authorities visited the site of the accident.
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