MOSCOW, April 23: Russia was struggling to extinguish a fire raging at a Black Sea oil terminal hit by Ukraine earlier this week, local authorities told AFP on Thursday, after urging residents to stay home amid harmful toxic emissions.
Kyiv struck oil facilities in the southern town of Tuapse on Monday, triggering a huge blaze and sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky over the coastal city.
"The fire at the Tuapse oil refinery is still ongoing -- four storage tanks are ablaze," the regional emergency headquarters told AFP on Thursday, four days after the hit.
The fire caused toxic rainfall on Wednesday, with authorities saying the concentration of toxic particles in the air was "two to three times permissible levels"
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The rain left "a black coating on surfaces," authorities said.
Unverified images shared by locals on social media showed huge black clouds over the city, oil spills in the sea and on beaches, with dead fish and birds lying on the shore.
Stray cats and dogs were pictured with their fur covered in black residue, and parked cars dotted in little black stains.
City officials on Wednesday warned residents to close windows, limit outdoor activities and wear face masks if they need to go outside.
Tuapse, a southern Russian town popular with holidaymakers, has been targeted on several occasions by Ukraine.
Kyiv has in recent weeks stepped up attacks on Russian oil ports, seeking to dent Russia's revenues from energy exports, a key source of funding for the army.
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