Fireworks explosion in Nigeria hits market

Witnesses said a huge explosion at a fireworks warehouse hit a market in the Lagos Island area in Nigeria, damaging more than 10 apartments. A spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency said he wasn't sure if there were any casualties from the explosion, but none have been reported. Xinhua News Agency, the official Chinese news agency, said NEMA has sent volunteers to the building housing the fireworks, but said the officials are having a hard time reaching the scene due to the crowd and traffic. Xinhua said Nigerian police recently banned fireworks for Christmas and New Year celebrations, especially in the northern part of the country where fundamentalists have frequently been setting off bombs.