This is the moment an explosion tore through a Turkish military base in northern Cyprus, peppering a nearby hotel with red-hot pieces of shrapnel.

A British holidaymaker, who spoke to Mail Online on condition of anonymity, told how the force of the explosion sent his elderly sister flying across her room and shattered windows throughout the hotel.

Multiple explosions rocked the base at Catalkoy, west of the town of Kyrenia, after an arms dump caught fire in the early hours of Thursday.

Twelve people were hurt when multiple explosions ripped through an arms dump at a Turkish military base in northern Cyprus early Thursday, peppering a nearby hotel with shrapnel

A retired member of the British armed forces who was staying at the Acapulco Hotel told how the windows on rooms facing the base were blown out

The Briton said his sister, who is in her 70s, tried to close her patio doors after the first blast, only for a follow-up explosion to blow her across the room

The Briton also revealed how chunks of metal as long as his arm were blown into the hotel as people were ordered to evacuate to a nearby beach, saying it was lucky that nobody was killed.

In total, 12 people received minor injured in the blasts which began around 1am Thursday and lasted until 5am. Most of the injuries were caused by broken glass.

Speaking to Mail Online, he said: 'At approximately 12.30am and a Turkish ammunition dump caught fire and exploded, raining down shrapnel and shells on holidaymakers in the Acapulco Hotel which was less than 100ft away.

'The explosions were terrifying. They blew out all of the windows and caused some structural damage to the hotel.

'People who had a room facing the ammunition compound, including my sister, had all of their windows blown in.

He revealed how pieces of shrapnel as long as his arm rained down on the hotel as guests were evacuated, saying it was lucky that nobody was killed

Panicked tourists had to be evacuated from their rooms in the middle of the night and taken to a nearby beach for safety while the fire was extinguished

Turkish authorities on the island have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire

'She is in her 70s and had a lucky escape because as she went to close her patio doors after the initial explosion a second explosion hit them with shrapnel and she was blown across the room.

'Later we discovered a piece of shrapnel about two inches by two inches [in her room.]'

A probe was launched to determine the cause of the blasts.

The Kyrenia area on the north coast lies within a breakaway state that Turkish Cypriot leaders declared in 1983 but which remains recognised only by Ankara.

The island has been divided on ethnic lines since Turkish troops occupied its northern third in 1974 following a Greek Cypriot coup.

Turkey continues to maintain a sizeable military presence in the north.