Giant explosion rocks Kazakh military base, as emergency workers scramble to battle massive blaze in Central Asian nation

A colossal blast has shaken an armed forces facility near the city of Taraz in southern Kazakhstan, with defense officials confirming to local media that a fire is still raging near the base after the huge explosion.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the Ministry of Defense in the capital Nur-Sultan said that “a fire occurred near one of the warehouses at a military unit stationed in the Zhambul region and an explosion of unidentified objects occurred.”

Rescue workers were called in to fight the blaze and efforts to control its spread are reportedly still underway, while investigators are beginning to probe its causes. A commission of officials has been dispatched to the scene, the press service added.

In a clip said to be taken from the scene, a small column of smoke can be seen emanating in the distance, before a blast suddenly shakes the ground and knocks the person behind the camera off their feet.

In 2019, a Soviet-era munitions dump in Kazakhstan blew up, killing one person and injuring scores of others. Similar incidents had occurred several times in the years prior, and were blamed on haphazard safety practices and negligence.

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