Large oil fire in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk

A  fire covering at least 1,300 square meters broke out in the cargo terminal of a port in Novorossiysk, Russia, on Friday morning. The fire lead to explosions, Kyivpost.com reports. 

Early reports said the fire started in barrels of fuel oil sitting on wooden pallets in the Black Sea port in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

According to the Maritime Executive, Russian officials said that 42 firefighters responded with 14 pieces of equipment. The fire was reportedly extinguished shortly after noon.

The official report is that wooden pallets caught fire and that it encompassed approximately 15,000 square feet in the cargo port’s yard. The report said the fire spread to barrels containing liquid fuel, which was likely the cause of the explosion. Images released on the social media site Telegram also showed containers with their contents having also been burnt during the fire.

Novorossiysk is one of Russia’s main Black Sea ports and is an important oil export point. 

Photo: Ukrinform