Fires rage out of control in Ukraine arsenal

[dArKeR]

AP , KIEV, UKRAINE
Saturday, May 08, 2004,Page 7

Explosions ripped through a military depot in southeastern Ukraine for a second day yesterday, sending flames leaping dozens of meters into the air and showering surrounding villages with shells and shrapnel. Emergency officials said the disaster had claimed five lives.

Firefighters and other emergency workers were unable to extinguish the fires that broke out Thursday afternoon at the sprawling arsenal near the city of Melitopol, some 600km southeast of the capital Kiev.

"Such fires cannot be extinguished," Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevgeny Marchuk was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. He said special technology was needed, and that Russia's Defense Ministry was sending experts to the region yesterday to help.

Officials have not said what triggered the explosions. Marchuk said only that preliminary information pointed to human error, and said military prosecutors were investigating.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/05/08/2003154618

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Such fires cannot be extingushed?

Ummmm, like radioactive fires?

[daleo]

2. Makes you wonder what he means

It could just be that the munitions exploding make it impossible to get near the flames. But there could be radioactive matter or chemical or biological weapons, too.

[burrowowl]

3. Tire (Tyre) fires

cannot be extinguished, bog fires cannot be extinguished. There are lots of types of fire where you gotta wait, some bog fires go for a couple of centries.
However, at a munitions dump ....? What is burning, phosperous, mag, nuke, ...?

[Kellanved]

4. Smoking caused fire at munitions depot in Ukraine

Smoking was the root cause of the major fire at the munitions depot in the Melitopol District of the Zaporozhye Region, southern Ukraine, the country's Emergencies Minister Grigory Reva said at the session of the Supreme Rada (parliament).

"Contrary to manual provisions and fire safety rules, servicemen smoked in the depot, which caused the fire and the explosion of munitions," said Mr. Reva. According to him, the fire has not been put out yet. The losses of the Ukrainian Defense Minister are assessed at 2,252 mln hryvni (about $425 mln) and of the people, at 1,496 mln hryvni ($282 mln).
...
http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2004/05/11/53844.html