Up to three blasts per second rocked a local munitions depot near the city of Chernigov in northern Ukraine. Some 10,000 people were evacuated from the area, which was put on lockdown for air and land travel.
The first reports of explosions at the arsenal in the town of Ichnia came in the depths of the night, at 3.30 am, the Ukraine’s General Staff reported. The scale of the explosion and the territory it has affected is unclear at the moment. An emergency response headquarters has been set up.
Some 10,000 people have been evacuated, Ukraine’s state emergency service has reported. Airspace within 20 km (12 mi) from the depot has been closed. Rail and road traffic have been temporarily put on lockdown. 220 emergency staffers and 60 technical units have been dispatched to the scene.
No one was injured in the incident and material damage is being evaluated, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
The powerful blasts smashed doors and windows in nearby areas, according to locals’ comments on social media. People have been posting images of the night sky lit up by the apparent explosions.
In one social media video, loud bangs can be heard in the background, as fire can be seen raging at the depot.
The military has already deployed a firefighting tank to battle the blaze and is to send four more to the scene. Emergency service crews, national police and the National Guard have all been alerted.
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