KYIV. Oct 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The human factor was the reason behind a series of explosions and fire at an ammunition depot in Artemivsk in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
Welding operations that were carried out on the depot's grounds caused fire, which triggered detonations of ammunition stored there, Ukrainian Emergency Situations Minister Hryhoriy Reva said at a news briefing on October 11.
Tentative information indicates that there were 3,170 tonnes of ammunition at the depot, and about 1,700 tonnes of it were destroyed in the incident, Reva said. The explosions and fire destroyed 10 out of the 17 storage facilities located in the depot's territory, he said.
Major Dmytro Honcharenko, who was missing for some time Friday, was found alive in a trench not far off the heart of the incident, although he suffered from concussion, Reva said.
The situation is stabilizing, and separate seats of fire are going out, he said.
The minister approved of measures taken by the regional and town authorities to handle the incident, although "the situation was very difficult and could have become unpredictable."
The last explosions were recorded at about 5:00 a.m. local time on October 11.
Armored vehicles have been employed to clear the scene, and six pyrotechnic units are working to clean up the surrounding territory.
Head of the Donetsk regional administration Anatoliy Blyznyuk said experts will take several weeks to complete their work at the scene.
The shutdown of the military garrison in Artemivsk is currently under consideration, Blyznyuk said.