Death toll in Kazakhstan ammunition depot blast rises to 9

The death toll from explosions at a military warehouse in southern Kazakhstan has increased to nine, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Friday.

The blast in the Kazakh city of Taraz has killed several employees of the ministry and servicemen and left 28 others hospitalized, with the search for those missing continuing.

Local authorities said a fire at the warehouse broke out on Thursday evening, followed by 10 explosions. Around 1,000 people and 24 fire trucks were involved in the operation to extinguish the fire.

According to preliminary information, more than 500 tons of TNT were stored in the warehouse.

The depot of the engineering and sapper brigade of the defense is located in Kainar village of the Zhambyl Region, where 1,200 residents in four nearby villages have been evacuated.

Patrols are being conducted in evacuated settlements to prevent looting; railways and highways around the area are blocked, the ministry said.

The cause of the incident is still unknown, but the ministry said it could have been caused by the burning of stored TNT. A commission has been set up to determine the cause, it said. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )