One person killed, 10 injured in explosion in Gaza market

One person was killed and 10 others injured in an explosion in Gaza City on Thursday morning, the interior ministry of the Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip announced.

Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad Al-Bazm said in a statement that the explosion happened in the Al-Zawiya Market, a major market in Gaza City.

One body had been found at the blast site, while 10 injured were taken to hospital, he said.

Al-Bazm added the explosion hit a residential building, resulting in the collapse of large parts of the structure and damage to neighbouring houses and shops.

He said that the civil defence and police in Gaza had brought the resulting fire under control and evacuated the wounded, adding that explosives experts in the police and security forces were still looking into the causes of the blast.

Preliminary reports indicated that the blast happened after a fire broke out in a gas supply shop at the bottom of the building.