A huge fire erupted at an oil pipeline in the western Ukrainian region of Ivano-Frankivsk on Saturday, injuring nine people, authorities said.
The blaze caused an oil spill spanning 100 square metres before it was later extinguished.
Footage shared on social media showed thick clouds of black smoke billowing out over a village, while firefighters worked to tackle the blaze.
“At 5 pm (1400 GMT), near the village of Strymba, Nadvirna district, an oil pipeline 150 millimetres in diameter ruptured,” Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.
The cause of the rupture was not immediately clear, but local media outlets reported there had been a powerful explosion.
“Nine people were injured,” the region’s governor Svitlana Onyshchuk said.
“According to preliminary information, two children and three adults are in critical condition, with numerous burns,” she added.