Myanmar warehouse fire and blasts kill 17, injure 88

Dec 29, 2011, 8:37 GMT

Yangon - A fire that set off a series of chemical explosions at a Yangon warehouse complex Thursday killed at least 17 people, including five firefighters, and injured 88, police said.

The fire broke out before dawn in a group of government-run warehouses in central Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

About 20 minutes after fire trucks arrived at the scene, four powerful explosions shook the warehouses, killing civilians living in the area and at least five firefighters, police said.

They said an electrical short was believed to have started the fire at a warehouse storing DVDs. It spread quickly to nearby warehouses where chemicals used by the medical industry were kept, officers said.

All 41 warehouses at the complex were either damaged or destroyed. The blaze also spread to surrounding wooden houses and a Buddhist monastery, which collapsed after it caught fire.

'I was sleeping when I felt a big vibration,' said area resident Win Htein, 50. 'I ran out of my house and saw the warehouses on fire. I fell down and injured my head. Two of my nephews were killed. I saw many others injured.'

Five fire trucks also were destroyed.

A total of 88 people were injured, including three or four firefighters who were listed in serious condition, authorities said.