Blasts at Tanzania munitions depot kill 17

The blasts took place over several hours at the Gongola Mboto military base, according to police officials. In a session aired live on state radio, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda told parliament at least 17 people had died.

The city's airport was reported to have been closed after the blasts, according to the British foreign office said.

"By this morning, there were 13 bodies at Amana hospital, two at Temeke hospital and two more at Muhimbili national hospital," Prime Minister Mizengo Kayanza Peter Pinda told parliament on Thursday.

Residents were encouraged to stay inside their homes and away from windows after the explosions, which hurled debris across the city.

In further comments reported by Tanzanian newspaper The Citizen, Pinda added that there were unconfirmed reports of three more deaths in the Kitunda area.

He said the explosions started in one depot before spreading to others in the camp. By this morning, 23 depots had been destroyed, along with two residential houses and a secondary school.

Pinda told the National Assembly that at least 4,000 people were sheltering at the National Stadium, and warned the death toll could increase.

The British Foreign Office said police had set up an evacuation centre accepting those within a 10km from the explosion site.

Explosions at an ammunition depot at Mbagala army base in spring 2009 killed at least three people.