A fire that broke out at a gasoline pump in the country of Dagestan in southern Russia is believed to have been the source of an explosion that killed a minimum of 35 people and injured dozens more, according to local authorities.
According to the emergency services ministry of Russia, the fire started on Monday evening at a car maintenance shop and then extended to a neighboring fuel store on the outside of Makhachkal, which is the capital of the Republic of Dagestan.
According to Sergey Melikov, the leader of the Dagestan Republic, a number of kids were among those who perished and a minimum of three bodies were pulled out from the wreckage, as reported by the state media outlet TASS.
According to TASS, 80 individuals were injured, and they cited the health division of the Russian Health Ministry as their source. This represents an apparent modification of the casualty toll that Melikov initially stated to be 102.
According to the emergency ministry’s statement, they dispatched a specialized aircraft to transport victims of the explosion to clinics in Moscow.
As reported by TASS, Dagestan has received aid from the Federal Department for Disaster Management of the Russian Ministry of Health and medical groups from Moscow.
According to TASS, rescue and search efforts were still continuing in the early hours of Tuesday morning, including emergency personnel clearing the debris and seeking potential survivors.
According to a report that was published Monday by the state-run news outlet RIA Novosti, the Investigative Committee of Russia has begun a criminal inquiry into the devastating fire.
According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his condolences to the relatives and friends of those who were murdered in the explosion that occurred at a station of gas in Makhachkala, as well as has wished those who were injured a rapid recovery.
On Tuesday, the president of the administration of Dagestan, Abdulmuslim Abdulmuslimov, traveled to Makhachkala to inspect the damage caused by the accident.
According to TASS, the administration of Dagestan has announced that Tuesday will be a day of mourning.
