KIEV, June 10. /TASS/. A fire is still burning in three fuel tanks at an oil depot near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, according to local media reports. "One big oil tank is still burning, causing a huge fire and smoke, together with two half-ruined tanks with oil products," 112 Ukraine television news channel said on Tuesday night.
Nikolai Chechetkin, the head of the Ukrainian state emergencies service, said in the evening that the spread of fire to a nearby forest had been stopped but the firefighting effort could take another 24 hours. The situation "is under total control and there is no direct threat to people, however, the danger of new explosions remains," Chechetkin said.
The fire at the BRSM-Nafta oil depot, located approximately 20 miles to the southwest of Kiev, erupted on Monday night and resulted in several explosions of tanks. Fire started at a 650-tonne oil tank. The depot holds 17 such tanks.
According to the latest reports, the death toll from the fire has reached 5 people. Ten have been taken to hospital. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the epicentre of the oil depot fire had been localised and firefighters continued to put out hot spots.
However, some Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday evening that a new source of fire had emerged and the fire area had increased.