Death toll from ammunition dump blast rises to nine

Troops and police cordoned off a smoldering army depot north of the Albanian capital as crews searched yesterday for workers missing following a chain of explosions that killed at least nine people and injured hundreds.

Nine bodies have been found, but 10 workers remained missing, authorities said. More than 240 people were injured, including children, and at least 130 remained hospitalized.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha said the explosions in Gerdec, a village about 10 km north of Tirana, were an accident: blasts triggered during work to destroy excess ammunition stockpiled during Albania's Communist past.