MOSCOW | Several explosions occurred near a Russian military airfield in western Crimea on Tuesday, killing one person, with Russian authorities saying they took place at an ammunition dump.
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Videos posted on social media showed a fireball forming after a loud blast, as thick billows of black smoke billowed into the sky and holidaymakers panicked leaving the nearby local beach.
“Several munitions intended for aviation exploded in a depot located on the territory of the Saki military airfield, near the town of Novofyodorovka,” the Russian army said in a statement.
The depot in question was not the target of any shooting or bombardment, she added, without however specifying the origin of these explosions.
Initially, the Russian army had assured that there had been no casualties in the explosions. But later in the day, the leader of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, reported one death.
“Unfortunately, one person was killed. I send my most sincere condolences to his loved ones,” Aksionov wrote on Telegram.
For his part, the Minister of Health of Crimea, Konstantin Skorupski, said that five people had been injured, including a child.
Thirty people were evacuated from Novofyodorovka, according to local authorities.
Shortly before, they had announced that “several explosions” had occurred near the military airfield, without explaining the cause.
Crimea, a peninsula of Ukraine annexed in 2014 by Moscow, has been on the front line of Russia’s military offensive against its Ukrainian neighbor since February 24.
Russian planes take off almost daily from Crimea to strike targets in regions under the control of Kyiv and several areas of this peninsula are located within the range of Ukrainian guns and drones.
Despite the conflict, Crimea has remained an important vacation spot for many Russians who continue to enjoy summer on its beaches.
“Tourists are not in danger. We ask you to keep calm,” said a Russian deputy elected in Crimea, Alexei Tcherniak.
“All the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the infrastructure and the population have been taken,” said Sergueï Aksionov for his part.