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Number of injured in Siberian ammo depot blasts reaches 40

One person was killed

KRASNOYARSK, August 14. /TASS/. The number of those injured in the munitions explosions at an ammo depot in the Achinsky district, in Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk Region, has risen to 40, the regional Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

"A total of 40 people were injured in two incidents," a spokesman said. Fifteen people were injured in the first series of blasts, and one of them was killed. Another 25 people were wounded in the second incident. "Eight of them remain hospitalized, and others are receiving medical assistance on an outpatient basis," he said.

Earlier reports said one person was killed and 32 others were injured.

The first explosions and a fire were reported at an ammunition depot of a military unit in the Achinsk district in the west of the Krasnoyarsk Region on August 6. A state of emergency was declared in the district and 16,000 residents were evacuated from communities within the 20 km area around the base. The fire was extinguished on August 6.

More explosions rocked the ammunition depot on August 9 evening. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, one of the latest explosions occurred when a lightning hit an ammunition stack with damaged lightning protection. The region’s governor said the explosions occurred during a bomb disposal operation.