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| Burma blast kills at least 15 in Rangoon | Burma blast kills at least 15 in Rangoon |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| At least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured by a large explosion in the Burmese city of Rangoon. | At least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured by a large explosion in the Burmese city of Rangoon. |
| The blast happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in a compound of warehouses in the east of the former capital. The cause is not known. | The blast happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in a compound of warehouses in the east of the former capital. The cause is not known. |
| The warehouses were said to contain chemicals as well as material connected to the construction industry and salt production. | The warehouses were said to contain chemicals as well as material connected to the construction industry and salt production. |
| A security official said three of those killed were firemen. | A security official said three of those killed were firemen. |
| "We are also trying to find out the cause of the explosion and the fire," he told AFP news agency. | "We are also trying to find out the cause of the explosion and the fire," he told AFP news agency. |
| The fire is believed to have started in a warehouse but spread to nearby wooden houses where people were sleeping. | |
| Firefighters were reportedly caught in the explosion as they tackled the initial fire. | |
| A resident of nearby Botahtaung township told AFP: "We heard a very loud noise from the explosion and saw smoke in the sky." | |
| "Our building was also shaken by the explosion. We have no idea what's happening." | |
| Burma has been hit by a string of bombings in recent years, which the government blames on separatist groups, but it was not immediately clear what had caused the blast. |