According to Daniel Correia, the alert was given this morning at 6:00 am, and the fire has already been extinguished, with teams remaining on site to ensure the aftermath phase.
The presumed cause of the accident, which is still being investigated by experts, was a gas explosion in an apartment located on the 5th floor of this housing and office complex that houses several United Nations agencies in Angola.
An Angolan couple died and four other people were injured, three of whom have already been discharged and another “still requires specialist care”, said the head of Civil Protection.
Two apartments were directly affected, and a survey of the damage is currently being carried out, said Daniel Correia, who said more information would be provided later.
Contacted by Lusa, a source from the United Nations indicated that neither the offices nor the UN staff were affected by the fire and that the building is now closed.
“Some of our staff live in the complex, but they have all been contacted and are safe. We have issued an order that no UN staff, including drivers and cleaning staff, are to leave or enter the building to minimize risks and traffic,” said a senior UN official.
The Rosalinda complex houses all of the United Nations offices in Angola, except for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
