KINSHASA, Congo -- Red Cross workers dug through the ruins of a collapsed hangar Saturday in a desperate search for survivors, a day after a mysterious chain of deadly explosions struck Kinshasa's international airport.
Official radio put the death toll at 10. But reports from Belgium, Congo's former colonial ruler, said between 40 and 50 people had been killed -- including victims hit by debris up to several miles away. Hospital officials said 216 were seriously injured.The death toll could rise much higher, with customs officials saying more than 100 people could still be trapped in the hangar.
There were conflicting explanations of what caused the blasts Friday at Kinshasa's N'Djili international airport, ranging from a short circuit to a soldier dropping ammunition while unloading a plane full of weapons.
"First there was the big explosion. Then we saw rockets and shells flying. People were running everywhere, but the hangar collapsed before many could get out," said Kalala Ngoy, a 42-year-old customs inspector. "Soldiers were running. The bosses were running. Poor people were running. We were all the same in the face of death."
The explosions occurred on the first full day of a new cease-fire signed last week by the parties in Congo's 20-month civil war.