17 dead, over 400 injured in Equatorial Guinea explosions

As many as 17 people were killed and more than 400 injured in a series of powerful explosions on Sunday at a military base in Bata, Equatorial Guinea's largest city.

Al Jazeera quoted President Teodoro Obiang as saying that the blasts were caused by negligence related to the use of dynamite at the military base.

While he initially stated 15 people were killed and 500 were injured, the country's health ministry later put the death toll at 17 and said 420 people were injured in the blast.

Citing local media reports, Al Jazeera further stated that groups of people were seen pulling bodies from piles of rubble, some of which were carried away wrapped in bedsheets.

Further details are awaited.

( With inputs from ANI )