TIRANA: At least five people were killed and 243 others injured after an explosion at an Albanian army ammunition dump near Tirana.

The initial blast Saturday at the depot at Gerdec village, about 10 kilometers north of the capital, Tirana, set off a series of explosions, and ammunition continued to detonate into the night.

The blast was heard as far away as the Macedonian capital of Skopje, a distance of 190 kilometers, and prompted a brief suspension of flights at Tirana's nearby international airport, which was slightly damaged.

Prime Minister Sali Berisha said during a late-night news conference that the death toll stood at five, but that the number was likely to increase. He said 243 people had been registered as injured.

Authorities evacuated 4,000 people from three villages and the surrounding area using armored personnel carriers, Berisha said.