Explosion in Myanmar Warehouse Kills 17

A warehouse fire in Yangon, Myanmar's main city, led to an explosion that injured over 100 and killed at least 17 people, six of which were firefighters, according to the Associated Press. The fire started around 2 a.m. Thursday local time, and caused an explosion that destroyed 16 warehouses and 76 homes.

Maung Win, a 45-year-old resident, told the AP, Many of the dead were hit by flying debris of broken walls and stone slabs that were flung on to the streets due to the explosions.

An official told the AP that authorities were not sure what caused the warehouse fire, but that the explosions were a result of a variety of chemicals that were stored in one of the warehouses, including ammonia and potassium nitrate. The blast left a 20-foot wide by 15-foot deep crater in the ground.

A nurse at Yangon general hospital said that 108 people were injured, and residents of the area said that the warehouses were used to store electronic goods.