15-8-2023 (MOSCOW) A petrol station explosion in regional capital Makhachkala, Dagestan, in southern Russia has claimed the lives of at least 12 people. The blast occurred at 9:40 pm local time, starting a fire whose cause is still unknown. The death toll could be as high as 25, according to an unconfirmed Russian report quoting doctors. Additionally, 60 people are injured. The explosion lit up the night sky, and pictures showed multiple fire engines at the scene. The fire spread over an area of 600 sq m (6,460 sq ft), and there is a risk of further explosions.
An unnamed witness told Russian newspaper Izvestia that the fire started on a car lot opposite the petrol station. “After the explosion, everything fell on our heads. We couldn’t see anything anymore,” the witness said. An aircraft has been deployed to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, and around 260 emergency workers are at the scene. Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted doctors as saying three children were among the dead.
Dagestan is one of 83 constituent parts of the Russian Federation and is the southernmost part of the country. Makhachkala is around 1,600 km (1,000 miles) from Moscow and sits on the coast of the Caspian Sea.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. Eyewitnesses reported a large fireball, and some have speculated that the blaze may have been caused by a gas cylinder explosion. The petrol station is located in a busy part of the city, and local residents have expressed concerns about the safety of such establishments.
