An explosion at a gas station has killed 35 people and left 115 injured.
The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, August 14, near Makhachkala, the capital of the region in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, according to Russia’s Health Ministry.
The explosion was triggered by a fire that originated in a neighboring car repair shop and subsequently spread to the gas station.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 65 of the injured, which includes 16 children, are still receiving medical care in hospitals. Among the injured, 11 individuals, with two being children, are in critical condition. The death toll includes three children.
In response to the tragedy, Dagestan’s officials have designated Tuesday as a day of mourning. They have also committed to offering financial support to the affected individuals and their families. The families of the deceased are set to receive 1 million rubles (approximately $10,000). Those injured will be given amounts ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 rubles (around $2,000-$4,000).
Some injured individuals will be transferred to Moscow, about 990 miles north of Makhachkala, for specialized medical care.
A criminal investigation into this explosion has been initiated by the authorities. This incident is the most severe in Russia since a defense research facility fire in Tver in April 2022, which resulted in 22 deaths and 12 injuries.
Another unrelated explosion at an oil mine in western Siberia’s Khanty-Mansiysk region led to two fatalities and five injuries on the same night.
This explosion in Dagestan is the latest in a series of similar incidents in Russia, including a recent factory explosion north of Moscow.