UPDATE 1-Huge blast rocks Somali capital, killing at least five - police

A suicide car bomb exploded in Mogadishu on Thursday, killing at least five people and destroying buildings in the Somali capital's busiest street, police said.

"The explosion took place in a business centre full of hotels, fairs, shops and restaurants," Major Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters. "Many cars are burning now," he said following the blast in Maka Al Mukaram street. "We know five people are dead and the death toll is sure to rise."

A Reuters witness saw four dead people and dozens of others injured. He saw blood stains, a dozen cars burning and three buildings including hotels destroyed by the blast. Earlier, a Reuters reporter heard a huge blast followed by clouds of smoke and heavy gunfire. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar; writing by Omar Mohammed; editing by Andrew Heavens, William Maclean)