KIEV, October 30./TASS/. One person was killed and five were injured in the fire at an ammunition depot in the city of Svatovo in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, Ukrainian General Staff speaker Vladimir Seleznyov told Tass on Friday.
"One woman, a shop assistant, was killed. Another civilian was wounded," he said, noting that four Ukrainian military serving at the depot were also wounded. All those wounded had been hospitalized, he said.
Earlier, city Mayor Yevgeny Rybalko reported about two deaths in the fire and said four had been wounded. "All military guarding the facility have been evacuated," Seleznyov said.
He said fire-fighting tanks were working at the site to clear the debris. Military units liquidating the aftermath of fires were working under their cover, he added.
The fire began at about 19:30 local time (20:30 Moscow time) on Thursday at a depot where about 3,500 tons of ammunition for the multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) Grad, Smerch and Uragan were stored. The fire area in the military facility territory alone is about 9,000 square metres.
The law enforcement agencies are considering a terrorist attack as the main version of the incident. According to Georgy Tuka, the fire started as a result of a flare pistol shot. "According to preliminary data, there were two shots from a flare pistol. While the efforts to extinguish the first flare were underway, another shot was made that caused the depot fire," he said.