AFP 
  
Maputo, Mozambique, Mar 23: An explosion at an arms depot near the international airport in Mozambique's capital has left around 80 people dead and more than 100 injured, many of them children, government and emergency services said today.

Exploding bombs, mines and rounds of ammunition ignited those around them in the country's largest arms depot late yesterday, in a series of blasts that could be heard around the city.

Explosives rocketed from the armoury, near the impoverished neighborhood of Magoanine, and landed on nearby houses which went up in flames, causing residents to flee in panic.

"We have more than 80 dead and at least 165 injured. Many are still in the field. There are so many people still to be rescued, as well as many bodies," said Bonifacio Antonio, spokesman for the country's disaster management services.

A health ministry spokesman put the death toll at 72, with 360 injured.

Red Cross programme director Unice Mucaphe said people were still being evacuated from the affected areas. "There are eight neighbourhoods where people live which are affected," she said.

"People are still being evacuated, there are houses destroyed. The difficulty is now to locate people because there are lots of children who are lost," she said. “A lot of children died, because it was during day time."

Antonio also said that most of the injured were children.