epa09270534 A handout picture provided by the Russian Emergency Ministry shows the fire at a Yevrogaz fuel filling station in Novosibirsk, Russia, 14 June 2021. Sixteen people were injured in the incident of the blaze covering an area of 800 square meters.  EPA/RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY HANDOUT  HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
The fire at a petrol station near the Russian city of Novosibirsk left 33 people injured. EPA

Russian petrol station fire sends fireballs into the sky


Huge fireballs bloomed into the sky near Russia's third-biggest city on Monday after a petrol station caught fire.

The fire at Akademgorodok, near Novosibirsk, started when a car was being filled with petrol, an employee of the Eurogas petrol station told Russia's state-owned Tass news agency.

It covered an area of more than 800 square metres as fuel tanks exploded, injuring 33 people including two firefighters attempting to put out the blaze. Twenty people were admitted to hospital.

Videos of the incident shared online show multiple fire balls shooting into the sky as tanks holding fuel exploded.

Traffic was diverted away from the area. Authorities say the fire has been extinguished.