The Kenyan government has claimed that its forces are in "full control" of the Westgate Mall and troops were clearing out any remaining terrorists.

Explosions rattled Nairobi's posh shopping centre throughout the day as soldiers fought with al-Shabab fighters who had seized the centre, killing 62 shoppers in the process.

Kenyan officials said two of the hostage-takers - part of "a multinational collection from all over the world," - had been killed.

Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said the evacuation of the building "has gone very, very well" and that Kenyan officials are "very certain" that there are few if any hostages left in the building.

Mr Ole Lenku also revised the death toll to 62.

Kenyan officials said earlier that 59 people have died since the siege began on Saturday, while the Red Cross put the toll at 68 before lowering it to 62, saying some bodies had been counted twice.

Dark plumes of smoke rose from the shopping centre for more than an hour after four large explosions rocked the Westlands neighbourhood.

The smoke was rising out of a skylight in Westgate's Nakumatt department store, where mattresses had been set on fire.

Military chief General Julius Karangi said fighters from several nations had taken part in the attack claimed by al-Shabab, a Somali group allied with al-Qaida.

Gen Karangi said Kenyan forces held all floors of the centre, though terrorists could still be hiding inside.

Alongside the Kenyans, people from China, Britain, France, Canada, India, Ghana and South Africa were killed.

From neighbouring Somalia, al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said that the hostage-takers had been ordered to "take punitive action against the hostages" if force was used to try to rescue them.

Al-Shabab said the attack targeted non-Muslims in retribution for Kenya's 2011 push into Somalia.