Massive explosions at a Russian military ammunition depot in Siberia have injured at least eight people and prompted the evacuation of thousands.

Russia's Defence Ministry said a fire triggered the explosions at a storage facility for gunpowder charges near the city of Achinsk in eastern Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in the region and ordered the evacuation of residents of several districts in Achinsk, as well as towns and villages within 20 kilometres of the depot.

Regional Governor Alexander Uss said 6,000 people were being evacuated under the order.

TASS news agency earlier cited local authorities as saying 11,000 Russians were being told to flee.

Air traffic was suspended within 30 kilometres of the munitions site.

Videos posted by local residents showed powerful explosions sending plumes of black smoke high into the sky.

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Photographs showed a huge explosion on the horizon with flames leaping into the sky followed by belching black smoke.

A Russian soldier was killed, TASS earlier cited a source as saying.

But a source from another agency, RIA, at the Defence Ministry denied the information about the soldier's death.

Rusal, the world's largest aluminium producer outside China, suspended operations at its Achinsk alumina plant and evacuated all but essential staff to ensure their safety, it said.

The plant is Russia's largest producer of alumina, a raw material which is smelted into aluminium.

Loading is operating on schedule at Russian oil giant Rosneft's Achinsk oil refinery, TASS quoted a refinery spokesperson as saying. The refinery is located 30km from the military base.

Ammunition depot explosions are not unusual in Russia. After the most recent incident in May 2018, a fire raged for almost a week before water drops from military aircraft and helicopters helped put out the blaze.

AP