Many troops feared dead as S Lanka ammo dump explodes

TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, Aug 10 (Reuters) Many troops battling Tamil Tiger rebels in east Sri Lanka were feared dead or wounded today after an ammunition dump at an army camp apparently accidentally exploded, military sources said.

''We fired artillery all day. Maybe one of the guns overheated and accidentally blew up,'' said one source. ''The dump exploded. We expect lots of casualties and deaths.'' Reuters correspondents in the eastern town of Trincomalee heard sustained explosions coming from the camp about 30 km (20 miles) away, which lit up the night sky on the horizon.

The army said the explosion appeared to be accidental, but had no details on the damage caused. Hospital officials at the nearby government-held town of Kantale sent four ambulances to the area as a precaution.

REUTERS MQA KP2146