Explosion, fire at oil depot in Kazakhstan injures 4
Cause of explosion and resulting fire not yet known
MOSCOW
Kazakhstan on Saturday reported an explosion at an oil depot in the central city of Zhezkazgan, which triggered a fire and left four people injured.
The incident began when three specialized vehicles caught fire on the depot's premises. Before firefighters arrived, a gas-air mixture ignited, causing an explosion, said the country’s Emergency Ministry.
The fire spread across an area of 100 square meters (1,076 square feet), leading to the collapse of a hangar located within the depot.
While extinguishing the blaze, emergency responders successfully cooled nearby fuel tanks, preventing the fire from spreading further.
The fire was eventually contained and extinguished, it said.
The cause of the explosion and resulting fire have yet to be determined, and an investigation is underway.
