MOSCOW, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 35 people were killed in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Russia’s Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the health ministry said, updating a previous toll.
“The explosion at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala injured 80 people. Thirty five people died, including 3 children,” the health ministry announced in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
According to local media, the fire began at a car repair centre near the petrol station.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his sincere condolences following the deadly blast.
A state of emergency was introduced in the Kumtorkalinsky district in Dagestan, according to regional head Sergei Melikov.
Some 260 emergency workers have been deployed, while the most seriously injured have been evacuated to Moscow by air, according to the emergencies ministry.
Rescue operations are ongoing, the ministry said. As emergency services clear through the rubble, more bodies are being discovered.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted doctors as saying three children were among the dead.
It added that the fire had spread over an area of 600 sq m and that there was a danger of further explosions.
Russian newspaper Izvestia said the fire had started at a car park opposite the petrol station.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the fire had broken out during some car maintenance work and had been “followed by a bang”.
A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading up to the incident, the committee said.
The Republic of Dagestan is one of 83 constituent parts of the Russian Federation and is the southernmost part of the country. Makhachkala is about 1,600km from Moscow.
Families of the victims will receive 1 million rubles (about $10,000) each, Dagestan’s authorities said, and those injured — 200,000-400,000 rubles (about $2,000-$4,000).
Tuesday in Dagestan has been declared the day of mourning.
Across Russia, in western Siberia, another blast killed two people and wounded five more on Monday night. The explosion occurred at an oil mine in the Khanty-Mansiysk region late in the evening, local authorities said. — NNN-AGENCIES
