The explosions were so violent that they flattened houses, businesses and churches. An initial blast Sunday killed 213 people. The death toll is expected to rise as crews begin clearing debris, including from St. Louis Catholic Church where dozens of worshippers were attending Sunday Mass when the building buckled under the force of the blast.
Government spokesman Bienvenu Okyemi blamed a short circuit for Sunday's fire that set off the blasts.The first major fire has been extinguished.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
