Explosion in Lagos Airport Cargo Area

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BBC NEWS (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2500219.stm)

A powerful explosion has hit Lagos airport in Nigeria.
The blast ripped through the cargo wing of the airport, which serves the country's commercial capital.

Flames soared above the building as ambulances raced the scene and a helicopter hovered in the vicinity.

Reports say the area is usually crowded with cargo agents and clients.

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"There are so many people dead. I saw the bodies," car hire firm manager Rasaki Hassan told the French news agency AFP by telephone

Witnesses described seeing smoke rising above the airport's freight handling depot, which is adjacent to the terminal.

The Nigerian authorities have yet to issue a statement on the incident.

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BBC correspondent Sola Odunfa reports that at least seven people were carried out of the warehouse.

A customs official interviewed by the French news agency AFP says the blast appears to have been caused by a falling container of chemicals.

It fell off a fork-lift truck and set fire to other goods in the warehouse, Patrick Akpoyipo told AFP.

Another agent, Ishau Afolabi, said he had seen five people with serious injuries but was unsure if anyone had been killed.

'Single fire engine'

The Nigerian authorities have yet to issue a statement on the incident which sent flames soaring above the building.

Ambulances raced to the scene and a helicopter hovered in the vicinity of the area, which is usually crowded with cargo agents and clients.

The Associated Press, which says the cargo area was hit by two blasts, reports that firefighters have been battling the flames with a single fire engine.