Seventeen die in Libya ammunition depot blast

An explosion at an ammunition depot in Libya’s rebel stronghold of Benghazi has killed at least 17 people, hospital officials have said.

Dr Habib al-Obeidi in Benghazi’s al-Jalaa hospital said the blast at a military base also hit a nearby residential area.

Witnesses on the scene, about 20 miles from the city centre, say ambulances are rushing to the area. There were also reports of secondary explosions which caused two fire engines to blow up.

The cause of the blast is unclear. Dr Al-Obeidi said it was apparently triggered when people went into the storage facility to collect weapons, but others blamed pro-Gaddafi forces for triggering the explosion.

The blast comes on a day which has seen nearly 30 people killed in violent clashes between pro-Gaddafi forces and rebels.