The Sana'a neighbourhood hit by a Saudi air strikes on 20 April was a scene of total devastation as buildings continued to smoulder hours later and debris covered large areas.

The air strike hit a scud missile base causing a massive explosion that destroyed entire buildings, blew out windows and killed at least several civilians.

The area near the Hadda district is home to the presidential palace and many embassies. Residents said it was the largest explosion in more than three weeks of bombing by the Saudi-led coalition.

Yemen's state news agency Saba, run by the Houthi movement which controls the capital, said the bombing resulted in "dozens of martyrs and hundreds of wounded", citing a government official.

An eyewitness at a hospital in the area said the emergency room was overwhelmed with victims, who screamed in pain from wounds sustained by the flying debris of their homes.

The explosion also damaged the headquarters of a television station, Yemen Today, which is owned by ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, knocking its signal off air and wounding several people, employees said.

The Saudi-led alliance has been bombing Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi rebels and army units loyal to Saleh for three weeks.

On 17 April, Saleh said in a post on his official Facebook page that he would not leave the country amid speculation he might be seeking political settlement that would protect him and his powerful family.

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