Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwean president, said he narrowly survived an attempt on his life on Saturday after a explosion at a party rally that injured two of his vice-presidents and several party officials.

He described to state media how an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time".

Video footage showed plumes of smoke surrounding the president as he was hustled away from the scene, down stairs from the podium at White City stadium in Bulawayo, the country's second city and an opposition stronghold.

Fifteen people were hurt, three of them seriously, according to David Parirenyatwa, the health minister.

Mr Mnangagwa later said he had visited some of the injured in hospital and pleaded for unity ahead of elections next month.