Man injured in blast

The injured man was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital

A man has been injured in an explosion in a Territorial Army base on the outskirts of Londonderry.

The incident happened at 0720 BST on Thursday at the camp on the Limavady Road in the city.

The man has been taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry where his condition has yet to be confirmed.

An Army spokesman said the injured man was a civilian rather than military personnel.

The DUP's Gregory Campbell is MP for East Londonderry

"A civilian contractor appears to have been quite seriously injured," he said.

It is understood the base had been out of operation and was being refurbished.

A police spokesman said a number of families were moved from their homes.

A security operation is continuing and the area around the base has been cordoned off.

East Londonderry MP Gergory Campbell said initial reports suggested the injured man picked up a device on the grounds of the base.

"I'm sure people will recall at Magilligan Camp within the past seven or eight months, an almost identical situation occurred," said the Democratic Unionist MP.

"A device was left there and a person who was an employee in the camp picked up the device and received very serious injuries on that occasion."

A bomb attack in February at Magilligan Army base, County Londonderry, left a civilian worker critically injured.

At the time, police said they believed dissident republicans, opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process, were responsible.