Inside Mosul, a huge blast, then screams, dust and horror

Firefighters search for the bodies of civilians who were killed after an air strike against Islamic State triggered a massive explosion in Mosul, Iraq, March 22, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Crouching in his Mosul home, Abu Ayman suddenly felt the ground rock as if struck by an earthquake when a massive explosion tore through his street, filling the room with dust and shattered glass. Then came the screams and cries from next door.

His account describes horrific scenes after the blast that may have killed more than 200 people on March 17, as the battle to recapture Iraq's second city from Islamic State advances though the cramped and densely populated western districts.