Two dead in Russia petrol-storage blast

An explosion ripped through a petroleum storage depot outside Moscow early today, killing two people and injuring another, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The cause was believed to be a technical problem.

The blasts occurred in the town of Noginsk, about 25 miles north east of Moscow.

A railway tank-car caught fire shortly after the explosions, which took place shortly after 6am local time (2am Irish time).

Ministry of Emergency Situations spokesman Viktor Beltsov said the depot was surrounded by residential housing, and emergency response officials were evacuating nearby buildings, including a maternity hospital.

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu headed to the blast site.