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Two dead in Russia military depot fire

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-14 03:22

MOSCOW： At least two firefighters have been killed and 43 servicemen who had been considered missing were found alive after a series of explosions ripped through a military ammunition depot in Russia's Ulyanovsk on Friday, local media reported.

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"It has been determined at the present time that two people died. These are servicemen from the military unit's fire detachment. They tried to stop the fire from spreading," Col. Alexei Kuznetsov, acting head of the Defense Ministry press service, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

Another seven firefighters were injured and three of them were hospitalized, he added.

A total of 43 servicemen have been rescued from the site, the regional administration of Ulyanovsk reported.

Regional Governor Sergei Morozov has confirmed on local TV that these people were earlier considered as missing.

Explosions rip through an arms depot in Russia's city of Ulyanovsk in this video framegrab from footage by operator Alexander Fouralyov for the local REN TV channel on November 13, 2009.[Agencies]

Fire and smoke is seen from a building in Russia's city of Ulyanovsk, November 13, 2009. [Agencies]