A huge fire and explosion on Tuesday killed several firefighters and hospitalized six others at a fuel depot outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev, according to the interior minister.

"An explosion at a fuel depot near Vasylkiv," Arsen Avakov said on Twitter, adding, "Gigantic. Firemen have died."

Avakov later tweeted that six firefighters were injured by the fire and sent to the hospital, while rescuers were finding another six firemen who lost connection.