At least 20 people have been killed and about 100 injured in an explosion which destroyed a Dutch fireworks warehouse.

There are reports that whole streets in the eastern town of Enschede were showered with debris from the blast.

Many injured were taken to nearby cities

Eyewitnesses spoke of limbs flying through the air and dead bodies lying in the smouldering rubble.

Firefighters were tackling a fire at the warehouse when the explosion ripped through the building sending debris and fireworks into the air.

The Interior Ministry has set up a co-ordination centre and declared the town a disaster area.

Enschede was built around the SE Fireworks factory, which is the only one in the Netherlands to be located in a residential area

The local mayor, Jan Mans, says he fears "there will be even more" casualties.

Cross-border assistance

Six firefighters are among the victims, according to an emergency services official, quoted by the Dutch ANP news agency.

Fire crews were called in from across the border in Germany to help battle the blaze.

The massive black cloud was visible for kilometres

Many casualties had to be taken to hospitals in other cities because local ones were unable to cope with the number of blast victims.

The force of the explosion, which happened just after 1600 (1400 GMT) was heard in nearby towns.

It left a swathe of damage in Enschede, blowing out windows and setting on fire nearby buildings - including a Grolsch brewery.

Huge clouds of smoke enveloped many parts of the city, which is about 140km east of Amsterdam and only a few kilometres from the German border.

By Saturday evening the fire had been brought under control.