Twenty six passengers are believed to have died in a Somali bus fire which started when a piece of luggage apparently packed with gunpowder exploded.
Passengers were prevented from leaving the burning vehicle after the explosion because the doors and windows were locked.
The driver of the bus, who escaped through a window next to his seat, and six people riding on the roof of the bus survived the accident near Halgan, north of the capital Mogadishu. It had left Bulo Burte for the regional capital, Beleteuin.
One of the survivors said a passenger was carrying a piece of luggage filled with gunpowder, which had been placed near the engine compartment. The heat from the engine apparently caused the powder to explode and start a fire.
"We first saw an explosion near the engine of the bus before huge flames engulfed the bus," one survivor said.
Abdulleh Abdi Ali, of the Somali Red Crescent Society, was among the first rescuers to reach the bus. He said the bus was also carrying a gasoline engine, which may have helped spread the fire inside.
Others said the bus was also carrying two barrels of gasoline.
Some of the dead are burned beyond recognition.
Some militiamen in Somalia disassemble their bullets to sell the copper casings and the gunpowder separately to raise money. The bag filled with gunpowder was probably on its way to be sold at the market in Beleteuin.
PA