Arms Depot Explodes, 15,000 Evacuated

An explosion at Turkey’s second-largest military arms depot Friday touched off a fire that forced the evacuation of about 15,000 people.

Footage broadcast by the private ATV television channel showed people being carried away from the depot on stretchers. Authorities had no immediate casualty figures.

Firefighters allowed the fire to burn out but continued shooting water onto the depot to prevent more explosions, the news agency Anatolia said.

The explosion occurred as crews were defusing old ammunition on the outskirts of Pamukova, some 80 miles southeast of Istanbul, a forestry ministry official said.

About 15,000 people living near the base were evacuated.