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Woman's Body Found In Debris At Blazing Ukrainian Munitions Depot


Drone Footage Shows Scale Of Ukraine Fire
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WATCH: Drone Footage Shows Scale Of Fire At Ukrainian Munitions Depot

Ukrainian officials say a woman's body has been found under debris at the site of a massive munitions-depot fire near the eastern city of Kharkiv.

The chief of Ukraine's Emergency Service, Mykola Chechotkin, said on March 24 that the body of a woman born in 1951 had been found in a damaged building late the previous evening.

Explosions and fires that broke out at the munitions depot in Balaklia early on March 23 prompted the evacuation of some 20,000 people.

The depot stores some 138,000 tons of ammunition and is used to supply Ukrainian forces fighting Russia-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian authorities blamed "sabotage" and President Petro Poroshenko pointed the finger at Russia.

Authorities had said on March 23 that one woman was injured.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman said earlier that the fire has affected half of the 368-hectare depot and could continue for up to seven days.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

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