Death toll rises to 11 following blasts in Albania

Albania's Defense Ministry says the number of dead from a series of massive explosions over the weekend at an ammunition dump has increased by two to 11.

Spokeswoman Igli Hasani says a young woman died in the hospital yesterday, and rescuers found the body of a child near the site of the explosions, in the village of Gerdec, about 10km outside the capital.

Nearly 300 people were injured by the blasts, which began on Saturday and continued for 14 hours. More than 50 people remained hospitalized and 16 of the most seriously injured have been taken to Italy and Greece for treatment.

Hasani also says the number of missing has increased to 12.

Crews were also trying to clear an area of about 10km2 littered with unexploded shells. The blast destroyed more than 300 houses and damaged another 2,000 homes and businesses.

On Sunday, Defense Ministry spokesman Igli Hasani said the operation would to on "for as long as needed," but rescuers -- assisted by US military explosives experts -- were hampered by large quantities of unexploded artillery shells.

Saturday's explosions scattered shells over an area of 1,000 hectares, Hasani said.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said the explosions were an accident that occurred during work to destroy excess ammunition stockpiled during the Communist era.

Berisha said he could not rule out human error but said the ammunition could have exploded spontaneously because of its age.

Authorities say most of the ammunition at Gerdec was Russian and Chinese artillery shells made in the 1960s.

TV footage from the blast showed a ball of fire shooting up from the site, with shrapnel and shell fragments raining down on homes and cars.

Gerdec has been declared an emergency zone, and Berisha has promised relief for villagers who lost their homes.

The blast left a massive crater at the depot.

Authorities evacuated 4,000 people from three villages and the surrounding area, and were preventing people from returning home yesterday because of the danger of unexploded ammunition.