A blast at an explosives factory in north-west Bulgaria might have killed as many as 15 people, authorities say.

The explosion, which also left three people injured, occurred near the village of Gorni Lom, 75 miles north of the capital Sofia. Police said smaller explosions continued for several more hours.

Civil defence chief Nikolai Nikolov said the site cannot be inspected by rescue teams until at least 24 hours after the last blast and only then he will he be able to give the exact number of victims.

The cause of the explosions at the factory, owned by a private Bulgarian company, is not yet clear. In two previous accidents at the site six people were injured.

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