A firefighter killed by a fire in a fuel depot in Colombia

A firefighter died when he attended a fire in a hydrocarbon deposit in the port city of Barranquilla, in northern Colombia, reported local authorities who are fighting to put out the intense flames.

"We regret the death of Sergeant Javier Enrique Solano Ruiz, during this emergency," the Barranquilla mayor's office said.

In videos released by local authorities gigantic flames are seen on a pier along the Magdalena River and a column of black smoke extends towards the city of 1.3 million inhabitants.

The Navy and some 30 firefighters have been working around the clock since dawn to prevent the spread of the fire on the pier that houses explosive material.

"It is a situation that is not yet under control, in which we are mitigating the risks to preserve life and minimise the impact of the assets of neighbouring companies," Barranquilla mayor Jaime Pumarejo told the media.

"We are going to install some water and foam monitors" with the help of "drones" and that will be directed towards those tanks in order to cool them, Pumarejo said.

The industrial area where the incident occurred is desolate and businesses have closed as authorities gradually increase "the evacuation radius," which is "800 meters" from the fire.

The fire started around 04:30 local time at the facilities of the Bravo Petroleum company where fuels are stored and the causes of the explosion are still under investigation.