Explosion rocks Madonna in New York

Pop superstar Madonna and her family were left stunned after a taxi exploded outside their New York home at the weekend.

The yellow cab burst into flames and the petrol tank blew up as it pulled up outside the singer's Upper West Side property.

Madonna, who is staying in the pad while she performs her Reinvention tour, was nowhere to be seen, but her husband, director Guy ritchie, was spotted watching the action from a balcony with three-year old son Rocco and stepdaughter Lourdes.

Manhattan firefighters managed to put out the blaze before it spread, and no one was hurt.

An onlooker says: "There was obviously something wrong with the taxi when it pulled up outside Madonna's house.

"Then smoke started pouring out of it and you could see flames coming from underneath it. A few minutes later there was a loud bang and the whole thing went on fire. It was very scary."