At least nine people were killed in the chain explosions of an Albanian ammunition dump near the capital Tirana, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Sunday.
"Three more victims were found at the site of the blast, while one young woman was found in the rubble of her house," Berisha told reporters, revising the toll from five to nine.
"Rescue workers continue their search for possible victims," Berisha said, adding that "at least a dozen people are reported missing."
Hospital officials also confirmed the rising toll, saying that nine bodies have reached the hospital morgue.
In addition, at least 243 people, including many children, were injured in the blasts, which were accidentally triggered during work to dismantle old ammunition at Gerdec village, 15 km west of the capital city of Tirana.
The initial explosion was followed by a series of blasts, and the ammunition continued to detonate for hours.
The explosion could be heard in Tirana and Durres, the biggest port city of Albania.
"I was having lunch when the explosion occurred. It's like a minor earthquake. One of my windows has been shaken loose by the loud noise," a resident in the capital's embassy area told Xinhua.
A witness told a local TV that there were at least 50 people working at the site at the time of the explosion.
Albania has destroyed some 46,000 tons of ammunition it has inherited from the past, and is continuing to scrap excess weaponry, hoping this might help the country get the ticket to NATO at the alliance's April 2-4 summit in Bucharest, Romania.
At least 1,500 soldiers and policemen have been posted to the disaster zone to guard against further explosions.
Rescuers continued the search for survivors.
Prime Minister Berisha visited the area and appealed for calm, reassuring the displaced residents that rescue efforts would not stop and relief would come soon.
Source: Xinhua
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