Blast hits Egypt military depot, casualties unclear

CAIRO (Reuters) - A large blast struck a military camp and arms depot near the city of Ismailia east of the Egyptian capital on Sunday, witnesses and an Arabic TV channel reported, but the extent of any casualties was not clear.

The Arabic-language news channel Al Arabiya said there were "reports of injuries and possible fatalities" from the depot blast but said it was unlikely that this was caused by an "act of terrorism."

One source told Reuters that some people were wounded but none killed. Another said there may have been deaths.

An Interior Ministry official said he had no information about such an incident.

One witness told Reuters by telephone the explosion struck Abu Sultan military camp, about 20 km (13 miles) south of Ismailia, which lies on the Suez Canal. He added that armored personnel carriers had blocked roads leading to the area.

The witness said the first explosion late on Sunday evening could be seen several kilometers (miles) away. It was followed by a series of other explosions, he added.

(Additional reporting by London bureau, Writing by Edmund Blair)