Firefighters feared dead after explosion in fuel depot outside Kiev

Several Ukrainian firefighters were feared dead on Tuesday outside Kiev when a ferocious blast tore through a fuel depot, sparking a "gigantic" fire that spread to nearby buildings.

The blaze broke out on Monday evening, and one worker at the plant died. The explosion on Tuesday morning left several firefighters reportedly injured or missing.

Three firefighters were unaccounted for and another six were taken to hospital, officials said, as the fire spread to at least 16 tanks, most of them storing petrol.

The fire at the depot, next to Hlevakha airbase and near the village of Vasylkiv, sent a huge pall of smoke over the surrounding area.

A spokesman for Ukraine's Emergencies Ministry told AFP that it was aware of six people being injured.

Kiev has been suffering from a dry heat spell for more than a week. There was no initial information about what might have caused the blast.