At least four people have been killed by a series of powerful explosions at an ammunitions depot in Burundi's largest city, Bujumbura, local residents have told the BBC.
The blasts erupted late on Tuesday at the facility, located in the suburb of Musaga, due to an electrical fault, an army spokesperson said.
Shrapnel and debris were propelled more than 5km (three miles) and several houses in nearby districts were destroyed by the force of the explosions.
The authorities have not yet provided any casualty figures, but family members and eyewitnesses reported four separate deaths in the city. The AFP news agency quotes security sources as saying that dozens of people had died.
One woman told BBC Gahuza that a relative, who had been detained at Mpimba Central Prison, died after a bomb hit the facility, where numerous inmates were injured.
In the north-eastern neighbourhood of Gisandema, witnesses reported that a bomb destroyed a house, resulting in the death of a domestic worker.
The authorities stated they cannot yet comment on the number of casualties as assessments of the damage continue.
The explosions sent plumes of smoke rising into the sky, causing panic among the city’s residents. President Evariste Ndayishimiye expressed his condolences to the affected families, assuring that the authorities are 'here to help.'
