Finland to send 2 rescue experts to Equatorial Guinea

The Ministry of the Interior has decided to send two experts to Bata, Equatorial Guinea, where an explosion at a munitions depot has caused extensive destruction, said an official press release on Thursday.

Equatorial Guinea has requested international assistance in the rescue operations following the explosion accident. The Emergency Services Academy Finland will serve as the employer of the posted experts.

By a decision of the Ministry of the Interior, the Emergency Services Academy Finland will send two experts trained in international rescue operations to the region as part of the Finnish-Swedish team of the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) network.

The team is tasked with supporting the work of United Nations Disaster Assessment and coordination (UNDAC) experts.

The experts' tasks include support duties, in ICT and information management in particular.

Finnish experts have a wide range of expertise in ICT and information management as well as in duties related to rescue and security operations in general. According to a preliminary estimate, the mission will last for approximately two weeks.

The explosion occurred at a munitions depot in Bata, Equatorial Guinea on 7 March 2021, causing extensive destruction across a wide area. According to the current information, the death toll is nearly 100, with more than 600 people injured.