NUR-SULTAN. June 25 (Interfax) - Fire has been put out at two ammo depots in Arys in southern Kazakhstan, and insignificant smoldering continues at the third depot, Kazakh Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
"The fires have been fully confined, and flames have been put out at two of three depots," Yermekbayev said.
"There is still insignificant smoke and smoldering at one of the depots. Yet the threat of explosion of scattered munitions persists," he said.
The authorities have asked Arys residents not to come home until the threat of explosions of scattered munitions is fully eliminated.
"A number of dud munitions were found on a street in Arys last night. So the risk of explosions persists. We are asking all citizens to abstain from returning to the city for now," Yermekbayev said.
The Kazakh Interior Ministry's Emergency Situations Committee Chairman Vladimir Bekker confirmed the explosion threat due to munitions "scattered on a wide radius."
"They have been spotted in residential areas, on the rail track, and at the rail station," Bekker said.