Situation tense as fire continues to rage at Crimean oil depot — mayor

Society & Culture October 09, 16:19

According to Igor Tkachenko, municipal services and utility providers are assisting the fire brigades in every possible way, providing them with hot meals and places to rest and supplying them with firefighting materials and equipment

FEODOSIA, October 9. /TASS/. Fire brigades from across Russia are taking part in combating a fire at an oil depot in the Crimean city of Feodosia, where the situation remains tense, Mayor Igor Tkachenko said.

"The fire situation is still tense. The firefighting operation involves not only Crimean fire brigades but, in fact, firefighters from all over Russia. They are on constant alert for necessary rotations," he pointed out.

According to the official, municipal services and utility providers are assisting the fire brigades in every possible way, providing them with hot meals and places to rest and supplying them with firefighting materials and equipment.

According to Arkady Ozhigin, head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Main Directorate in Crimea, the operation to extinguish the fire continues. "We have enough personnel and equipment. There is no threat to the local population at this point," he said in a video released by the regional branch of the ministry.

A fire broke out at the Feodosia oil depot on Monday morning. No casualties were reported. As many as 1,129 people have been evacuated from the area. Russia’s consumer watchdog started collecting air samples on the very first day. So far, the concentration of harmful substances above normal levels has not been recorded.

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