CAR: Fire destroys EU headquarters in Bangui

A fire outbreak has destroyed the headquarters of the European Union (EU) Commission in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, making no casualties.

Douglas Darius Carpenter, head of the mission Tweeted the fire broke out on Sunday. No one was wounded.

Bienvenu Zokoué, the Chief of the domestic security of the African country, said that the cause is unknown and that authorities have launched probe into the incident. “The damage will be enormous,” he added.

Carpenter also reportedly thanked all EU partners in Bangui “for their patience during the period of reorganization” of their services. The incident came few days after an explosion on Friday at the Bangui branch of Russian House, a state-funded cultural center that promotes Russian culture around the world.

Dmitry Sitiy, Director of the House was hurt after a parcel sent to him detonated while he was opening it. Russian and CAR authorities have branded the incident a terrorist act. Sitiy, whose condition is reportedly bad but stable, told the local authorities that he had received death threats prior to the attack.

Moscow believes the parcel bombing was an attempt to “harm” ties between Moscow and Bangui.