Background
The arms depot was constructed by the Soviet Union in 1984. The building housed Soviet-manufactured weapons used during the Mozambican Civil War. The building is in a residential neighborhood, near the international airport. An earlier explosion at the same location in 1984 killed 12 people.
In addition, a heat wave had been affecting the area for much of the summer, with temperatures around 35 °C (93 °F) being reported. The same heat wave was blamed for a much smaller explosion at the depot on January 28, 2007.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Maputo Arms Depot Explosion
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