At least 40 people have been killed by an air strike that hit a migrant detention centre in Libya, officials say.

Another 80 are reported to have been wounded in the explosion, which happened at a facility in an eastern suburb of the capital, Tripoli.

The majority of those killed are reported to be African migrants.

In recent years, Libya has been a key springboard for migrants seeking to travel to Europe.

The country has been torn by violence and division since long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed in 2011.

Osama Ali, a spokesman for the emergency services, told AFP that 120 migrants had been in a hangar which was directly hit by the strike.

He added that more people may have been killed because the death toll so far was "a preliminary assessment".

The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which is led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serra, has blamed the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) for Tuesday's strike in the suburb of Tajoura.

In a statement, it said the attack was "premeditated" and "precise" and denounced it as a "heinous crime".

BBC