1993: Waco siege ends with inferno

More than 70 people die in a fire at the besieged headquarters of the Branch Davidian sect near Waco, Texas, in April 1993.

The sect's buildings had been surrounded since February, when four agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were killed as they attempted to arrest leader David Koresh on firearms charges.

Tear gas canisters and stun grenades were fired into the compound and an armoured vehicle moved in to demolish the walls.

A fire broke out around midday, taking a firm hold on wooden buildings by the time firefighters arrived. The blaze worsened when the compound's store of munitions exploded.

BBC Archive: Originally broadcast on 20 April 1993.