Firefighters Battle Blaze at Oil Depot in St. Petersburg
Dozens of firefighters are currently working to extinguish a fire that engulfed an oil depot in St. Petersburg, according to Russian authorities. The incident, which has caused explosions and sent a large plume of black smoke into the sky, was first reported at 10:59 a.m. local time, as stated by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations. The exact size of the blaze is yet to be determined, but an 80 by 10 meters (262 by 33 feet) hangar is currently ablaze.
At the time of reporting, around 60 firefighters and 12 emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene. Videos circulating on social media show the intensity of the fire, indicating the challenging nature of the firefighters’ task. The fire is said to have occurred at the Ruchi oil depot, as reported by Russian online news outlet Fontanka.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and there have been no reports of casualties thus far. Authorities are actively investigating the incident to determine the origins of the blaze. More updates will be provided as the situation develops.
The fire at the oil depot highlights the potential hazards associated with handling flammable materials and the importance of implementing stringent safety measures to prevent such incidents.