Nigeria: Blaze hits Lagos after fireworks blast

An explosion in a warehouse has sparked a major fire in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city and commercial capital.

Officials said a building storing fireworks in the busy market area of Lagos Island exploded, and the ensuing blaze spread to up to nine buildings.

The blast reportedly shook windows of homes miles away and a thick cloud of smoke could be seen over the island.

Several people have been injured but it was not immediately clear if there were any fatalities.

Thousands of people in the area gathered to watch, as the fire destroyed neighbouring buildings.

Some residents jumped out of windows in panic as fireworks exploded, long after the initial blaze, AFP news agency reported.

The BBC's Tomi Oladipo who is at the scene says he saw people with shrapnel wounds some distance from the fire and that it is quite likely anyone closer would have been worse affected.

The Nigerian Red Cross said it had treated at least 30 people, AFP reported.

Firefighters took about an hour to reach the scene, according to our correspondent, partly because of the huge crowds, but was insufficient to tackle the blaze.

Some residents grabbed hoses from fire engines and tried to fight the blaze themselves.

The trucks however quickly ran out of water, the Associated Press news agency reported.