Hellish scenes show how firefighters battled to extinguish a “flaming river” at an industrial zone.
Dystopian footage shows the affected area aglow in a purple-blue blaze as the firemen douse it with foam.
Gaseous technical flake sulphur caught fire at an industrial zone in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, on Saturday (27 Jul) morning.
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According to local media, it took about 300 people and more than 100 vehicles to extinguish the blaze.
They battled the fire for almost 24 hours, according to reports.
The blaze covered an area of more than 1,200 sq m (1,435 sq yd) and destroyed 5,000 bags of gaseous technical flake sulphur.
Sulphur dioxide concentrations in the air reportedly rose to 40 times above permissible levels.
Locals complained of a pungent odour and of feeling unwell.
Ten people, including a firefighter, were injured, as reported on Need To Know.
Two were taken to hospital with burns and poisoning symptoms, while the others received on-scene medical care.
The fire prompted the authorities to evacuate 233 children and 201 adults from a neighbouring residential area.
They have since been allowed back home.
An investigation is underway to find out what caused the blaze.
