A major fire in a south Kashmir army munitions depot on Saturday morning caused widespread panic in the area, prompting the authorities to order evacuation from several villages around the camp area.

Police sources said 30 persons including troopers, civilians and firemen are injured in the blaze and serial blasts that sent the entire area in a tizzy, with residents fleeing their homes in panic.

The fire sent shrapnel flying high and wild all over the area around the camp causing consternation and panic among hundreds of villagers who are fleeing their homes with their family members.

A massive cloud of black smoke is billowing from the explosion site.

The blaze, an army spokesman here said was caused by an accidental fire inside the field ordinance depot.

"We are trying to control the blaze and evacuate the civilian population," Lt Col A K Mathur told rediff.com.

The civilian authorities made repeated announcements in the areas around the camp, seeking vacation of the residents, many of whom have reached Anantnag town, 15 km from the Khandroo camp.

The news of the ammo depot fire spread like a wild fire and the entire Anantnag town was closed.

Fire tenders from all around the district have been rushed to the explosion site to help the army authorities in the fire fighting operations.

Senior army, paramilitary, police, civil official have reached the spot.

"It was an earthshaking explosion initially followed by scores of small explosions and I rushed inside my house. Residents are fleeing the area as the six square km radius area around the camp has been surrounded," a local resident Nissar Ahmed said on phone.