Blast in northern Pakistan kills 45

At least 45 people have been killed and 150 injured in an explosion in a northern Pakistani village.

The explosives were stored in the residence of a local contractor who died in the blast in the village of Ghair.

The blast is believed to have been accidental.

Many of the 45 dead were women and children, and police were digging through debris searching for more bodies, he said.

It is believed that an electrical short circuit caused a fire in a storage area, igniting the explosives.

AP