It was gathered that firefighters rushed to the area, while several tanker trucks left the depot, escorted by soldiers and police.

In a statement, the government announced the closure of schools in the capital and urged workers to stay at home.

“Private and public sector workers are asked to stay home” and “public and private schools have been closed”, the statement said. The cause of the fire remains unknown, officials said, and its “scale and consequences could have a direct impact on the population”.