This is the moment an asphalt tank collapsed killing two and injuring eight in western Russia.

Staff of the OAO Heat Supply Enterprise in Penza City were reportedly pumping asphalt into the tanker trucks on March 9 when the storage container was depressurized and spilled the black liquid onto the road.

The regional health ministry said: 'Two died. As of 11:00 (Moscow time), eight people were hospitalised.'

The victims were taken to the Penza Regional Clinical Hospital to recover. They were said to be in a 'moderate' condition.

Local media said the accident may have been caused by an operational error during the pumping process.

The prosecutor's office of Penza's Zheleznodorozhny district has launched a probe to investigate the company's compliance with safety regulations.