Explosion at Russian oil depot kills two
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-15 16:37

An explosion and fire tore through an oil storage facility near Moscow on Wednesday killing two people and seriously injuring a third, an Emergencies Ministry spokesman said.

"According to initial reports from the scene, the blast ripped through a laboratory," Viktor Beltsov said. "The reason for the blast is unknown and an investigation is under way."

He gave no further details.

Interfax news agency said prosecutors had launched criminal proceedings under a criminal code article dealing with violations of security rules -- a sign that at least for now there were no grounds for suspecting a terrorist act.

Those killed were staff at the Noginsk storage facility, 70 km (40 miles) from Moscow. A third worker had been taken to hospital with serious injuries, Beltsov said.

Earlier an Emergencies Ministry spokesman said about four people had been injured.

It took five hours for hundreds of firefighters, backed by helicopters, to put out the fire that broke out just 300 meters (yards) from a residential area and a maternity hospital. Nearly 300 people were evacuated briefly.

Interfax said two fuel tanks and two railway tanks with petrol had burned out.

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