Nine killed after explosion at ammunition depot in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan: A series of violent blasts at an ammunition depot in Kazakhstan have killed at least nine people and injured dozens of others, emergency officials said on Friday.

A fire broke out at the compound in the southern region of Jambyl on Thursday evening causing an "explosion of unidentified objects", the Kazakh defence ministry said in a statement.

At least four other people remain missing after the blasts, while more than 80 people were injured. Several nearby villages were evacuated, according to the regional governor. The victims -- including soldiers and rescue workers -- are being identified, the local emergency ministry added. According to the Kazakh Defence Ministry, a fire at the Soviet-era depot spread quickly to the ammunition, causing several detonations.