MOSCOW - Explosions and fire ripped through a Russian military arsenal for hours yesterday, killing two firefighters and prompting the evacuation of thousands of civilians nearby, officials said.
Dozens of people feared trapped in the conflagration took refuge in a bomb shelter and emerged safe, officials said, dispelling worries of a high death toll. A subsequent report said 11 others were unaccounted for.
Russian TV networks showed dramatic footage of the naval munitions facility in Ulyanovsk Province, with frequent explosions bursting high in the night sky.
“There was a loud bang, then there was silence, and then explosions, explosions, explosions - like fireworks on New Year’s,’’ resident Igor Komandin told Channel One television. The blasts shook windows and set off car alarms miles away, residents told Russian media.
The blasts and blaze erupted while ammunition was being destroyed at the facility, according to the Federal Security Service branch in the province, which is 430 miles east of Moscow. Artillery shells and other munitions were stored at the site, state-run Channel One reported.
Two firefighters were killed and seven military personnel were injured, Alexei Kuznetsov, Defense Ministry spokesman, said.
Provincial Governor Sergei Morozov said 3,000 people were evacuated from the area, the Russian news agencies reported.
