An unexploded ordnance detonation in Abergele Yechila Woreda claims eight lives, including five children, highlighting the ongoing dangers of unsecured military depots in Tigray
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — An unexploded ordnance detonation in Yechila town, located within Abergele Yechila Woreda of the Tigray Region, killed eight people—including five children—and destroyed five pack animals.
According to reporting by BBC Amharic, the explosion occurred on October 27, 2026, in the Ma’arey Station area of Yechila town. The incident unfolded after donkeys loaded with scrap metal departed from a weapons depot previously used by Tigray forces to sell the material to local scrap buyers. Unexploded ordnance, including a live explosive device concealed among the metal cargo, detonated when one of the loaded animals collapsed in front of a residential home.
Yechila Hospital Manager Erdey Asefa confirmed that 18 individuals were impacted by the blast. Three victims died instantly at the scene, including children aged two, five, six, and twelve. Yechila Hospital admitted 15 injured individuals, where two passed away before receiving treatment. Medical staff referred severe casualties requiring limb amputations and specialized abdominal surgery to Abiy Adi Hospital and Mekelle’s Ayder Referral Hospital, where additional victims succumbed to their injuries.
The depot in the Ariqua area of Abergele Yechila Woreda, which dates back to the Ethio-Eritrean war, was left unguarded after local security forces and administrative personnel withdrew following military clashes. In the absence of formal administration and amid severe economic hardship and drought, residents began scavenging scrap metal and attempting to defuse unexploded ordnance from the facility. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC verified by the BBC showed a major explosion and fire at the warehouse between October 22 and 23, 2026.
Local religious leaders, including Abergele Yechila Woreda Priest Gebrehiywet Alene, alongside hospital officials, called for immediate government intervention to clear stockpiled munitions, conduct house-to-house inspections, and safely neutralize remaining unexploded ordnance across the area.
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