A series of blasts at a Tanzania military munitions dump killed at least 20 people late last night, flattening neighbouring buildings and sending thousands of local residents fleeing in panic.
Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda told parliament today that 4,000 people had sought shelter at the national stadium in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where the blasts occurred.
"The death toll might rise when we ascertain the full extent of the damage caused by the explosions," Mr Pinda said in a statement to parliament.
Some 23 munitions depots, a secondary school and two houses were razed in the chain of explosions at the Gongo la Mboto military base in Ilala district.
The blasts forced the closure of the main Dar es Salaam International Airport, which is nearby. As a precaution the airport in the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar was also temporarily shut overnight. Aviation officials said there was no damage reported at either airport.
The blasts scattered debris across densely populated neighbourhoods several kilometres from the military base.
A similar explosion in 2009 at another military base in Dar es Salaam killed at least 26 people and wounded more than 700.
Reuters