Russian oil depot burning after explosion

March 28, 2008

An oil depot in Russia is burning after an explosion at the facility near the Caspian Sea in Dagestan. A female worker has been hospitalised with burns covering her entire body.

A 10,000 tonne oil reservoir has been burning since the explosion at 4:10 p.m. local time (13:10 GMT). Eyewitnesses describe thick plumes of smoke rising from the area.

At least 20 fire engines are using foam to try and quench the blaze. Dagestan's Emergencies Minister Murtazali Gadzhiyev went on Russia's Vesti-24 channel to discuss the current situation. "We managed to open the taps ... and now this oil is being pumped out," Gadzhiyev said. "We are trying to keep the fire away from other reservoirs."