An explosion killed at least 10 people and wounded 15 at a weapons depot in southern Libya Thursday that may have been linked to common theft, an official said.

General Mohamed al-Dhabi told AFP: "A group of unknown people tried to attack the depot, causing this unfortunate incident" in Brak al-Shati, 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Tripoli.

State television reported that a group of civilians, among them African immigrants, had been trying to steal the ammunition in order to remove its valuable copper when the explosions occurred.

It said an unspecified number of people had been killed and wounded.