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| Entire Ukrainian city being evacuated as munitions depot catches fire, explodes (VIDEOS) | Entire Ukrainian city being evacuated as munitions depot catches fire, explodes (VIDEOS) |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of people are being evacuated from Balakleya in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, as a massive fire has broken out at a munitions depot, which is said to be the largest in the country. There are reports of explosions and shattered windows. | Thousands of people are being evacuated from Balakleya in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, as a massive fire has broken out at a munitions depot, which is said to be the largest in the country. There are reports of explosions and shattered windows. |
| Chaotic scenes with hundreds of vehicles stuck in traffic jams were reported on social media after the Balakleya city administration ordered an emergency evacuation of most of the city. | |
| Videos uploaded by local residents show a huge blaze with what appears to be a missile flying off in a random direction and falling to the ground, as detonations are heard in the background. | |
| Most of the population of Balakleya have been evacuated, the civil defense department of the city's district administration told RIA Novosti. | |
| "The first wave of the evacuation has come to an end, most of the population have been evacuated by buses. Now the buses are returning to evacuate the rest. Specialists are going from house to house checking who remains," the district administration said. | |
| There have been no immediate reports of any civilian casualty. | |
| A seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) safety zone has been set up around the burning depot, RIA Novosti reports, citing a Ukrainian military prosecutor. | |
| Anatoly Matios, the chief military prosecutor of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook that according to preliminary data, the explosion and fire were caused by sabotage at 3am local time at several storage sites for rocket and artillery weapons (including 125mm and 152mm tank and artillery shells). Matios said the incident was the direct result of sabotage. | |
| An investigation has been launched. | |
| DETAILS TO FOLLOW | DETAILS TO FOLLOW |