A petrol fire broke out Monday in a densely populated slum in Nairobi, Kenya, killing more than 100 people, authorities said.

Local television showed footage of blazing skeletons as the fire raged through the slum.

“We estimate the number of dead at more than 100, police spokesman Thomas Atuti told AFP.

Firefighters battling fierce flames engulfing the area, spraying chemical foam to contain it.

The blast took place in the Lunga Lunga industrial area, where a pipeline runs through a thickly populated area between Nairobi's city centre and the airport.

It is not known what caused the blast.