Ukraine fuel depot fire kills 1, several injured near Kiev

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian firefighters on Tuesday managed to contain a major blaze that had engulfed a fuel depot near Kiev, preventing it from spreading to another fuel depot and a nearby military base.

But one worker at the depot died at a hospital from severe burns, several others were injured and three firefighters were missing, the Interior Ministry said.

The fire, which erupted late Monday at the depot near the village of Hlevaha just southwest of Kiev, filled the skies with plumes of black smoke and prompted the evacuation of residents in surrounding areas.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, with sabotage a possibility.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said the fire was halted only 50 meters (yards) from the military base and prevented from reaching the other fuel depot, so the risk of further explosions was minimal.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Facebook the fire should be extinguished by early Wednesday.