Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

There have been explosions at a private storage facility of fireworks on a highway between Yasynuvata and Donetsk in Ukraine in which a watchman was injured, ICTV channel reports quoting the Donetsk region emergency situations' authority.

The explosions started at 1430. The first powerful blast occurred at about 1450 in a field on the 71 kilometer of the highway.

By now highway traffic has been restored.

The explosions broke windows in nearby homes. There is a big smoke cloud in the sky which the wind is moving to the center of Donetsk, the ICTV channel reported.

Five teams of rescuers and firefighters arrived at the scene. Small blasts continue. It is impossible to enter territory the storage facility.

Channel 5 reported quoting the Donetsk region emergency situations authority that two hangars contained some 100 tonnes of firecrackers. Employees of a neighboring gas filling station were the first to witness the blasts. At 1430, three powerful explosions deafened them.

Firefighters have so far filed to stop the explosions despite pouring water on the buildings. It is their purpose to prevent the dry grass around the hangars from catching fire. The filling station is the closest building to the storage facility. However, rescuers say it is safe because a mound separates it from the hangars.

Meanwhile, the press service of the Ukrainian Emergency Situations Ministry told Interfax that the closest houses stand at a distance of 1,500 - 2,000 meters from the facility and there is no threat to the local population.

At the press service of the regional division of the State Committee for Labor Protection Interfax was told that nobody was injured in the incident.

According to the ministry, the storage facility belongs to Soyuz company which leased it to YeMTs-2 company. Several dozen tonnes of fireworks are stored there in two 30 x 70 x 10 meter metal hangars.

The cause for the explosions has not been identified yet.

Meanwhile, Ostrov Web site reports that the explosions took place in the premises of a private fireworks' factory that operates in the grounds of the former Butovska coalmine.