Amman: A huge blast happened in Jordanian military depot, early Friday sparking a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties. The blast happened in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of the capital Amman, where several Jordanian bases and depots are located. An initial investigation had determined that the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit in warehouses situated in an isolated and uninhabited area, which was under camera surveillance.
The explosion comes only days after the Hashemite kingdom announced it was reinstating military service for unemployed men between the ages of 25 to 29. Jordan abolished compulsory military service in 1991, three years before signing a peace accord with neighbouring Israel. Zarqa governorate, which has a population of about 1.5 million people, has witnessed several explosions in past years, mainly caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses as it is also home to many factories and a free trade area. The army, which swiftly closed off the area, acknowledged that there had been an explosion in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa.
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