At least one Palestinian was killed and 10 others injured on Thursday in a huge explosion in the largest public market in the Gaza Strip.

 

The explosion caused massive destruction in the al-Zawya market, damaging several homes in the overcrowded neighborhood, the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

 

Eyad al-Bozzom, spokesman of the ministry, told reporters that the civil defense managed to extinguish the fire caused by the explosion and evacuated the survivors.

 

It was suspected that the blast was caused by a gas explosion, but the ministry said it was investigating the incident to determine the cause.

 

The casualties from the explosion were limited largely due to the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, during which all the stores in the al-Zawya market were closed.