News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo.

DETAILS of information emerging from the Tanzanian capital, Dar Es Salaam say several international airlines may be headed for more than millions in suspension related losses as series of explosions two weeks ago triggered flight cancellation following the closure of Julius Nyerere International Airport.

The government is reported to have already launched investigations into the series of explosions at the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces {UPDF} ammunition depot sin Dar Es Salaam that forced international airlines to cancel all flights to Tanzania.

The Supreme Security Council the country’s top military security organ under the Commander-In-Chief was reported last week to have held an emergency security meeting in the capital and deliberated on the issue.

Tanzania has also tightened security along its borders with the neighboring countries on the land and on its Indian Ocean coastline.

The 22 ammunition depots in the army Gondo La Mboto military camp caused the death of at least 30 people, with many more left injured.

Planes belonging to Swissair, Egypt Airlines, South African Airways, Precision Air Services, and Fly540 were among those grounded at the international airport pending further information from the military as City’s sky was lit up by flying debris and missiles.

All the incoming flights were being diverted, either to Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, or to Zanzibar airport, during the night hours as explosion rocked the city near the international airport.

Debris showered parts of the city up to 15 kilometers from the Gongo La Mboto military bases, which is located in the outskirt of Dar Es Salaam. It was the second such military accident in recent times, after another explosion at Mbagala Military base in 2009 in which 20 people including four military officers lost their lives.

A Turkey Airlines and Precision Air flights were last week diverted to Nairobi whereas a KLM was sent to Kilimanjaro Airport in Arusha. A plane belonging to Comair flight, a subsidiary of the British Airways flying in from South Africa was forced to return to South Africa, Ethiopia Airline and Qatar Airlines cancelled all the flights to Tanzania pending safety assurances from the Tanzanian government.

The TPDF’s Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen Abdulrahaman Shimba was quoted as saying that that the army had yet to establish the root cause of the explosions, adding that the authorities have started investigations into the cause of the explosion and the extent of it caused o the army and to the public.

The ammunition depot explosions, started on Wednesday evening in a series of blasts which leveled homes and destroyed many properties.

The Prime Minister Mizengo Pindo went on the air and said that several homes and a school were leveled. He added that at least 4,000 people have been rendered homeless and were still sheltering at the Uhuru National Stadium.

Army ammunition depots explosion have occurred in the past in the United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, Nigeria and Pakistan.

According to military experts, the causes of such accidents include design faults, poor storage control, movement of ammunition, equipment failures, in-service deterioration, errors in building and errors in drill.

In 2002 an accident at ammunition depot at the Ekeja military base caused series of explosions, sending fireballs into the sky over Nigeria’s commercial capital. Lagos. The blast rocked the outskirts of the northern port city and shattering windows in buildings several kilometers away and caused a lot of panic.

In 2009 at least eight people were killed in an explosion at the arsenal 31 ammunition depot on the outskirt of Ulyanovost, 900 km south of Moscow, Russian.

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