A huge explosion has torn through a Cypriot National Guard naval base. At least 10 people are feared dead.

Officials say the explosion happened at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base on the Mediterranean island's southern coast around 6 am local time on Monday. State radio says the dead include two Cypriot sailors, two soldiers and five firefighters.

A fire ignited gunpowder stored in containers that Cypriot authorities confiscated in February 2009, from a ship sailing off its coast. State television says the explosion also caused numerous injuries and extensive damage to homes in villages near the naval base.

The blast severely damaged the island's main power station, leading to power cuts in several areas. Local authorities have appealed to the public to limit their electricity consumption, which has spiked amid a three-day heat wave with temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius.