Brazil Arms Depot Blast Injures 20
A series of explosions late Sunday rocked the navy’s main arms depot on an island about 200 yards off the coast of Brazil, injuring at least 20 people and leaving dozens missing and feared dead.
Navy officials said as many as 100 people may have been at the depot at the time, the CBN radio network reported. TV Globo, quoting the Navy Ministry, reported that as many as 40 people may have been killed.
Thirty-seven homes on Boqueirao Island, the site of the explosion, also were destroyed, TV Globo said.
Firefighters and navy rescue personnel backed by civil defense helicopters launched a search and rescue operation. Television showed flames throughout the 138-acre depot almost five hours after the first explosion.
The detonations began about 5:30 p.m. and lasted 90 minutes, creating a large cloud of smoke. They were felt up to 10 miles away.
Some radio reports claimed that a hot-air balloon--a popular feature of street parties at this time of year--may have caused the accident. But the ministry said an official investigation will begin today.
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