SOFIA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Powerful blasts in gunpowder and munitions depots shook the Bulgarian capital of Sofia early Thursday morning, local press reported.

    The explosions, which occurred about 06:30 local time (0330 GMT), came from a military magazine located in the northeast Sofiaquarter Chelopechene, Kremikovtzi Municipality. The blasts were heard in the whole city.

    According to the emergency units, one woman residing in Chelopechene had been injured by the window glass in one of the rooms of her apartment as windows in the buildings all over the quarter were smashed by the detonation.

    No other people have been reported dead or injured by now. The four guards of the magazine evacuated from the site immediately after hearing the first explosion.

    The neighboring area was cordoned off by units of the local police, the military, and the Civil Defense Service.

    Zlatan Stoykov, chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army, said that people in the area close to the site should leave or make sure they were in a safe place because of the danger of flying parts of ammunition.

    Representatives of all relevant Bulgarian institutions have arrived at the site of the explosions.

    Most of the people living within six km of the military storehouse have been evacuated, according to Minister of Emergency Situations Emel Etem.

    She explained the evacuation was necessitated by the possibility for new detonations, and the danger that flying parts of the munitions stored at the military site might cause damage to buildings within the threatened area.

    However, a new massive explosion at the military storehouse is still possible as more than 15 tons of TNT and other explosives are still there.

    Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev denied allegations about dangerous chemical substance in the air above Sofia, saying that measurements by the mobile chemical laboratory of the Bulgarian Army showed that there was no dangerous chemical substance in the area.

    The Bulgarian government held an emergency meeting at 9:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), which was still going on.

    The Sofia Airport has been closed immediately after the explosions and incoming flights were diverted to the airport in the southern city of Plovdiv.