Blast in munitions depot kills 3 in central Turkey

KIRIKKALE - Doğan News Agency (DHA)

AA photo

An explosion at an army munitions depot killed three workers in the Yahşihan district of the Central Anatolian Kırıkkale province late last night.  

The blast occurred in a four-story building used as a munitions depot by the Turkish Armed Forces. 
A powerful explosion, which could be heard from the Kırıkkale city center 25 kilometers away, rocked Yahşihan at around half past midnight. Military and municipal firefighters and numerous ambulances were dispatched to the munitions depot, which caught fire following the blast.

The area around the building was closed to civilians and non-essential rescue personnel because of the chemical materials burning in the fire.   

The bodies of three of the four workers on night watch in the building at the time of explosion were found after the fire was put out. One person is still missing. 

The fire department said the explosion might have been caused by a gas pressure build-up but added that a definitive cause would be determined after an investigation.