Fire and explosions at a munitions depot in the Central Asian state of Turkmenistan forced the evacuation of hundreds of people on Friday, as local media reported scores killed amid government denials of a serious problem. The apparent accident took place in Abadan city at an airfield 20 kilometres from the Turkmen capital Ashkhabad, the Interfax news agency reported.
The Fergana news agency reported that "hundreds" of people were inside the military base when a fire reached ammunition stored there, causing high explosive shells to detonate and artillery rockets to launch and bombard homes and businesses near the base.Media reports citing witnesses placed the number of people killed at more than 100. But government statements contradicted the media reports, saying the damage was minor and no one had been killed.
News-Asia, an independent Turkmenistan website, reported most of the victims - men, women and children - suffered injuries from fragments of flying metal. Police had cordoned off road approaches to the base, which is one of three major airfields operated by the Turkmenistan Air Force. Abadan is a city of 50,000. Damage to portions of the city adjacent to the military airbase was severe, according to local news reports.
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