A joint Israeli delegation sent by the IDF, Health Ministry and Foreign Ministry arrived in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, Thursday, to help treat the hundreds of people wounded in blasts that occurred on Sunday at a military base near the country's former capital.
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The delegation, headed by IDF Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Col. Dr. Noam Fink, includes some 60 doctors from the IDF Medical Corps, hospitals and other medical organizations.
Medical equipment arrived along with the delegation, which is focusing on helping hospitals provide life-saving treatment.
"The IDF, on behalf of the State of Israel, will continue to assist in the aftermath of any disaster around the world that requires its experience and capabilities," a statement by the Israeli delegation said.
According to state television, four explosions killed at least 105 in the Nkoa Ntoma camp, outside the economic hub and port city of Bata, home to more than half the country's 1.4 million people.
We are currently preparing to dispatch an IDF humanitarian aid mission to Equatorial Guinea following a series of explosions which killed and wounded hundreds.
Our mission will be the same as always—saving lives 🇮🇱🇬🇶 pic.twitter.com/GdEh5tQNpT
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 10, 2021
The blasts, which occurred at a weapons warehouse, also affected surrounding residential areas, injuring at least 615 people.
Human Rights Watch, however, urged an independent investigation after claiming the death toll was "far more" than reported.
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Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich West African country located south of Cameroon, was a colony of Spain until it gained its independence in 1968.
On February 19, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Equatorial Guinea had decided to move its embassy to Jerusalem.
It would become the third country to move its embassy to the city, after the United States and Guatemala. Kosovo and Malawi have also announced plans to open embassies in Jerusalem.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
