At least 15 people have died and hundreds more have been injured in a series of explosions in Equatorial Guinea, the health ministry says.

Iran Press/Africa: At least 20 people are dead and hundreds of others are hospitalized following a series of explosions at a military camp in Equatorial Guinea Sunday evening, according to officials.

Residents were seen going through rubble to find survivors while others were helping transport the wounded to hospitals.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosions in the city of Bata that sent smoke into the air and destroyed several buildings, but reports say the blasts came from areas near a military base.

Later on, Equatorial Guinea's President said that the blasts were caused by "negligence" relating to the storage of dynamite at the barracks. 

Teodoro Obiang Nguema said in a statement that the impact of the explosion "caused damage in almost all the houses and buildings in Bata", and called for international help with aid.

He added that the incident may have occurred following the burning of fields surrounding the barracks by farmers.