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Libya conflict: At least 28 dead in weapons store explosion Libya conflict: Mystery blast kills dozens in western town
(about 1 hour later)
At least 28 civilians have been killed and dozens injured in an explosion in the western Libyan town of Garabulli, thought to be at an ammunition store. A mystery explosion in a town close to the Libyan capital Tripoli has killed at least 25 people, apparently after a dispute at a shop escalated.
Locals said the explosion happened in a camp controlled by an armed militia from the city of Misrata, but the group had left after clashing with residents. The blast took place in Garabulli after clashes between locals and militia fighters from the city of Misrata.
The explosion reportedly happened as residents entered the camp but it is not yet clear what triggered the blast. Officials initially said a munitions store had exploded but one resident told the BBC a lorry loaded with fireworks had exploded.
In fighting further east, in Sirte, at least 30 pro-government fighters died.
They were killed in fighting with militants from the so-called Islamic State group.
Coastal road blocked
Garabulli is about 50km (30 miles) east of Tripoli and 140km west of Misrata.Garabulli is about 50km (30 miles) east of Tripoli and 140km west of Misrata.
"The number of casualties is rising and we are working hard to transfer them to nearest hospitals," Mohamed Assayed, a local official, said. A BBC producer close to the scene in Garabulli said the coastal road was completely blocked and he could hear sounds of gunfire from a distance.
About 30 people were injured, he said. A mix of armed civilians and local militias from the coastal town were manning checkpoints on the edge of the town along the coastal road.
A resident told the BBC by phone that clashes erupted between armed residents and militia when a member of the militia refused to pay for goods in a shop. Cars trying to pass through were being searched but it was not clear for what.
The shop owner shot allegedly shot and killed the man, prompting a retaliatory attack against the shop by members of the militia The situation is very tense, says Rana Jawad, the BBC's North Africa correspondent.
The shop was burnt down and so was its owner's family home nearby, the resident said. The Garabulli resident who spoke to the BBC said the entire affair had started after a fighter from a Misrata militia purchased items at a grocery store and allegedly refused to pay for them.
A group of residents then clashed with militia at a camp which had been occupied by the militia, which was when the explosion occurred, according to reports. The owner of the shop allegedly shot and killed him and then there was a retaliatory attack against the store by the militia.
Unconfirmed reports said the blast occurred at an ammunition depot within the camp. The shop was burnt down and so was the owner's family home nearby.
Armed residents protested over the attack and the presence of the militia in the town.
It was then that a store nearby that had some depot, or lorry laden with fireworks for sale, exploded.
The resident's account could not be independently verified or backed by a second source in Garabulli.
"The number of casualties is rising and we are working hard to transfer them to nearest hospitals," Mohamed Assayed, a local official, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.