'Too late to do anything'

Crowds of onlookers hampered firefighters' efforts

Survivors have been describing the scene of the fireworks explosion in the Peruvian capital, Lima.

Witnesses said many victims did not stand a chance.

I saw flames where people burned alive

Jose Fernandez Vega

"People were burning standing up. They were burning on top of one another," said Jose Fernandez Vega.

Some spoke of trying in vain to save people trapped on rooftops who were calling for help.

"I tried to help, but unfortunately lots of people stayed to try to save their belongings and they died," one trader said with tears in his eyes.

"I tried to enter to get a handicapped person out but it was too late to do anything."

Chief firefighter Tulio Nicolini described the tragedy as the worst he had seen in 40 years.

Officials say the flames reached more than 600C

"I have seen remains of people trapped in their cars, and bodies charred in the streets," he said.

"This is horrible. There are some 60 dead in the road and we don't know how many more inside."

The accident happened around 2000 local time (0100 GMT) on Sunday in a store selling fireworks.

Witnesses said that fire broke out after traders began trying out some of their wares.

Firefighters said that temperatures could have reached more than 600C.

The inferno was so intense, officials said many victims would not be identified.

"In many cases, it will be difficult to identify those dead because the bodies have been badly burned," said civil defence chief Admiral Juan Luis Podesta.

Some victims will never be identified

Local workers said the large number of unlicensed vendors and too many cars crammed on to narrow streets meant it was a tragedy waiting to happen.

"It was a time bomb," said a security worker, adding the fire spread "like a dynamite fuse".

The disaster shocked Peruvians and stunned traders in the historic city centre.

"I've put everything away but the sparklers," said firework seller Aydee Condori.

"I'm not selling little firecrackers either. I'm afraid to sell them now after what happened," she said.