One dead, several hurt in Venezuela arms depot blast

CARACAS: A fire set off a series of explosions at a military arms depot in the city of Maracay in central Venezuela today, injuring about 40 people and leading authorities to evacuate the area, an official said.

Residents were being evacuated from areas within six kilometres (about four miles) surrounding the arms depot, Aragua state governor Rafael Isea told state television. He said about 40 people were reported injured in the explosions.

The cause of the fire was unclear. Information minister Andres Izarra went on state television calling for calm and saying that authorities were tending to the situation.

Isea said smaller explosions were continuing today morning and that firefighters would wait until they had subsided to approach those areas.

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