Aug. 5 (UPI) -- An explosion and fire at a Russian ammunition depot prompted the evacuation of thousands of people from a nearby Siberian town, state-run media reported Monday.
The fire caused ongoing explosions at the depot in the village of Kamenka.
"Ammunition has been exploding for 5 hours by now," an emergency services source told state-run news agency Tass. "Several thousand pieces have blown up.
Local lawmaker Semyon Semyonov said the repeat explosions have produce haze and smoke in the region.
Officials evacuated an estimated 11,000 people, and another 100,000 residents of the town of Achinsk were warned to prepare to leave.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the depot stores about 40,000 tank and artillery shells, as well as gunpowder charges.
