Rio De Janeiro, May 24 : A massive fire at a fuel depot on the northern outskirts of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil sent flames and smoke high into the air on Thursday.
Residents of the area told local media that they heard loud explosions before the blaze started.
About an hour after the fire broke out, it began to spread from the six fuel storage tanks that initially caught fire.
Firefighters were unable to get within a block of the blaze as its intense heat kept them at bay.
Water from two fire trucks arched through the smoke in a mostly futile attempt to control the flames.
Local television broadcast images showing a firefighter coming to the aid of an elderly woman using a walker.
Minutes later, a gas tanker truck caught fire nearby.
Firefighters said in an emailed statement that no injuries had been reported yet.
They evacuated a two block area around the blaze.
There was no word on a possible cause.
