Explosion at Sudan army depot

KHARTOUM, Sudan, April 14, 2004 (UPI) — Sudan said an explosion that ripped through an army warehouse Wednesday was not caused by a terrorist act but by an electrical short-circuit.

An army spokesman said no casualties resulted from the morning explosion in the ammunition depot of the army barrack in the city of Kasla, 600 kilometers (375 miles) east of Khartoum.

He said the fire which was started by the explosion was totally controlled.

Witnesses told UPI the deafening sound of the blast sent panic waves among the civilian population who rushed for shelter fearing a new attack by Eritrea-backed rebels on the city, which is located near the tense Sudanese-Eritrean border.

They said matters were restored to normal later Wednesday.