President Vladimir Putin expressed his sympathies on Tuesday after an explosion at a gas station in the remote Russian territory of Dagestan in the Caucasus claimed at least 35 lives.
Images released by the emergency ministry showed burnt-out vehicles silhouetted by the enormous fire and helmeted rescuers working to extinguish the flames and clear the debris.
According to government ministries, 80 people were hurt and 35 individuals killed.
According to a statement from the Kremlin, “President Putin expresses his most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragedy in Dagestan and wishes a speedy recovery to the victims.”
The explosion in the city of Makhachkala happened at a fuel station after a fire broke out, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee, which probes major incidents, announced on social media.
“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 added.
State-run news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti reported that the fire had been extinguished, citing the ministry.
Makhachkala, a city of over 600,000 on the Caspian Sea, is the capital of Dagestan, a Russian republic bordering Chechnya.
The blast was heard shortly before 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Monday, Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan administration, announced on social media.
A witness quoted by Russian daily newspaper Izvestia said the fire started in an area where cars were parked and spread to the petrol station.
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“After the explosion, everything fell on our heads. We couldn’t see anything anymore,” said the witness, who was not named.
Video footage released by Russia’s emergency situations ministry showed firefighters trying to extinguish huge flames near burnt-out vehicles, as rescue workers examined the rubble of a building with flashlights.
The fire had spread over an area of around 600 square metres (6,450 square feet), the ministry said, adding that 260 firefighters had been deployed to the blaze.
A government Il-76 aircraft carrying medical equipment had been dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, it added.
Melikov said that the evacuation operation had since been completed.
The Dagestan government declared August 15 a day of mourning.
“State flags will be flown at half mast throughout the country, and cultural institutions and TV channels will be asked to cancel entertainment events and programmes,” Melikov said.
AFP
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