Ammunition depot fire injures twelve

In Russia’s Bashkiria Republic, a fire destroyed an artillery ammunition dump and caused the destruction of over 40 houses in a nearby town.

Emergency services evacuated more than 2,000 people from the area, as the flames took hold. Witnesses describe a series of explosions, as tank and artillery shells caught fire.High-caliber rounds are reported to have landed as far as three kilometers from the site before exploding, setting alight empty houses and sparking a forest fire.Up to 12 people were injured during the incident, while one man died after being hit by a car during the evacuation.A Be-200 amphibious aircraft and three robots designed to deal with industrial fires belonging to Russia’s Emergency Ministry (Emercom) were participating in the firefighting operation.The fire started on the esplanade of the 99th Arsenal, where outdated ammunition was being prepared for recycling. The arsenal is situated near Urman township, about 100 kilometers from Bashkiria’s capital Ufa.