Heavy death toll in Kinshasa

Reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo say that at least 50 people were killed and more than 200 injured in explosions at the international airport in Kinshasa on Friday.

The bodies of victims are piled up in the city's only morgue, waiting to be identified.

There was a big explosion then we saw rockets and shells flying

Kalala Ngoy, customs inspector

At the Mamayemo general hospital, distraught relatives have been waiting in hallways and clustered around the emergency room hoping to get news of the missing.

It is still not clear what caused the explosions - which happened on the first day of a ceasefire in the country's civil war - but officials say they were not set off deliberately.

Witnesses report that they were caused by a fire in the ammunitions depot, which official statements indicate was sparked by an electrical problem.

Buildings destroyed

The customs area of the airport was completely destroyed by the blasts and the windows of the main buildings blown out.

Eyewitnesses said the explosions went on for about 45 minutes.

Customs imspector Kalala Ngoy told the Associated Press news agency a hangar collapsed as people tried to escape.

"Soldiers were running; the bosses were running; poor people were running," he said.

"We were all the same in the face of death."

A large quantity of unexploded ammunition is still reported to be scattered around the airport

Warehouse fire

Government spokesman Didier Mumengi said in a statement that the airport's technical capabilities had not been damaged, and that the government had set up an investigative commission to look into the causes of the fire.

Meanwhile, the airport remains closed for clean-up operations, and international airlines have cancelled their flights to Kinshasa for the next few days.

Mr Mumengi said the incident started with a warehouse fire. He made no reference to earlier reports of a military plane crash.

"A fire in one of the warehouses located not far from the military airport spread until it reached an ammunition cargo in transit," he said.

Reports on Friday suggested the explosions had happened after a military aircraft crashed into a petrol tanker.

Ceasefire

The incident occurred on the first day of a ceasefire in the DR Congo's civil war, which pits President Laurent Kabila's government and foreign allies against rebels in the north and east, backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

Local people fled their homes and closed up markets and shops, fearing rebels were attacking the airport.

Rebels in the north-east said fighting had persisted on Friday, blaming government forces for the continued hostilities.