At least 27 people have been killed in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Dagestan, southern Russia, reports the BBC.
The explosion took place in the capital Makhachkala on the 14th of August at 21:40 local time. Dozens of people were injured in the incident, the exact cause of the explosion is not yet known. Pictures from the scene show huge flames and several fire engines.
The Emergencies ministry said that around 260 rescue workers had been dispatched, as well as a plane to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow.
27 people died and 102 were injured as a result of the explosion in #Makhachkala, stated the head of #Dagestan Sergey Melikov. pic.twitter.com/tuVLOOOl09
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 15, 2023
The Russian news agency Interfax reports that three children are among the dead. The agency added that the fire had spread over an area of 600 square metres and there was a threat of further explosions. The Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted an eyewitness saying that the fire broke out in a car park opposite the petrol station.
“After the explosion, everything fell on our heads. We couldn’t see anything”, the eyewitness said.
The Russian Investigative Committee said that the fire broke out during car maintenance work, to which an explosion followed. The Committee also said that a criminal case had been opened to establish the circumstances of the incident.
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