Ukraine on Tuesday evacuated residents living near the site of a massive fire that was sparked after a blast ripped through a fuel depot outside Kiev and then spread to nearby fuelling stations and buildings.

"The likelihood of the blasts being repeated exists," the ministry said in a statement. It said people living within two kilometres (1.2 miles) of the spot of the initial explosion had been ordered to abandon their homes. "If necessary, we will evacuate people living within 10 kilometres (of the blast site)," the statement added.