30 killed in petrol station fire in Russia’s Dagestan
- 15 Aug 2023
At least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the emergency situations ministry said on Tuesday.
"A total of 102 people were injured as a result of the incident, of whom, unfortunately, 27 died," the ministry said on Telegram.
The explosion in the city of Makhachkala took place at a fuel station after a fire had broken out, the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee for Dagestan said on Telegram.
"A fire occurred during car maintenance work, followed by a bang, as a result of which people were injured and died," the committee said, adding that nearby buildings and cars were damaged.
A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading up to the fire, it said.
The state-run TASS and Ria Novosti news agencies reported that the fire had been extinguished, citing the ministry.
Makhachkala, a city of over 600,000 residents on the Caspian Sea, is the capital of Dagestan, a Russian republic bordering Chechnya, which shares a border with Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Agence France-Presse
