At least six people have died in a series of explosions at an arms dump near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. A US officer said "hostile forces" fired flares into a munitions depot, setting off many fires. However, many Iraqis are blaming American troops for storing weapons in a residential area.The explosion happened in the Zafaranyah neighbourhood of southern Baghdad, at one of the depots set up by US forces to collect Iraqi weapons.

US Sergeant Major Gary Coker said the flares that hit the dump were fired by "somebody who knew what a pistol flare, if that's what it was, could do if it landed on a pile of ammunition".

"It was acres of stuff," he added.

Many people were badly injured in the blasts, some with burned or severed limbs.

More victims are said to be buried under rubble. Some unconfirmed reports speak of 40 people killed.

"There was a huge explosion next to our house," a resident told the Reuters news agency.

"Fires started all around. Explosions ripped through the neighbourhood. In the next house, four women and a child were burned to death."

Anger

The cause of the explosions, and the precise casualty figures are hard to establish as US forces are keeping journalists out of the area.

The blasts sparked protests by residents blaming the Americans for the tragedy.

US troops were stoned by a crowd when they first reached the site and began taking victims to local hospitals.

Hundreds of people chanted anti-US, pro-Islamic slogans as they were evacuated from the area.

"This is the responsibility of the US army because we told them this is a civilian area," one man said.

In one truck, people chanted, "America's no better than Saddam".

A large crowd also gathered outside the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad, with banners saying "American forces kill the innocent" and "No bomb between houses".

An Islamic cleric led them in chanting the slogan "Yes to Islam, yes to Iraq, no to Israel, no to America".

In recent days, US forces have carried out controlled explosions at the same arms dump.

PHOTO CAPTION

At least six people have died in a series of explosions at an arms dump near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.