The explosions were reported to have shaken the ground in the surrounding area and shattered windows of the nearby buildings.[9] The force of the explosions was large enough that it affected buildings kilometres away.[4][11] The fumes from the fire were also toxic due to the chemicals involved, making the firefighting effort more difficult.[9] A district administrator stated that the fire in the depot had spread to at least seven acres.[12] The army stated that 250 troops were deploying sandbags to keep chemicals from spilling into the Indian Ocean.[11] Fire officials stated that explosions continued well into the next day, complicating efforts to fight the fire.[6]