Deadly Explosion At Naval Base In Cyprus

At least 12 people have been killed in a huge explosion at a naval base in Cyprus, it has been reported.

State Radio said two Navy personnel, two soldiers and five firefighters were among the dead, however the Ministry of Defence said it could not confirm how many lives had been lost.

The Cyprus News Agency said an estimated 59 people have been injured at the Evangelos Florakis base in Zygi, between the southern coastal cities of Limassol and Larnaca.

It is believed the blast happened in an area where munitions seized from a vessel heading to Syria from Iran in 2009 had been dumped.

The country's president Dimitris Chistopfias visited the site, describing the blast as "a catastrophe of biblical proportions."

The leader of the country's opposition said 98 containers, holding around 2,000 tons of gunpowder had exploded.

It's thought the explosion was caused by a brush fire which had spread to the base.

The country is experiencing a heatwave with temperatures around 40C (104F) over the last few days.

The island's main power station also sustained extensive damage as a result of the explosion and the electricity authority has said it will remain offline for at least a day.

Aviation authorities said Paphos and Larnaca airports were reducing power consumption because of the damage and have appealed to residents to limit their electricity use.

The public has also been warned to reduce water use as the limits to the power supply had meant water treatment plants had been taken offline.

The blast caused damage to neighbouring communities and windows and doors of beachside restaurants were blown out.

Witnesses said it was "raining metal" on a nearby motorway following the explosion.