Russia: at least 35 dead in the huge fire at a gas station in Dagestan

August 16, 2023

At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured in the explosion and fire at a gas station in Dagestan, a republic in the Russian Caucasus, according to a new report released Tuesday by the authorities.

The causes of the disaster are not yet known, but accidents and fires of this type are common in Russia. Often, they are due to violations of safety standards or the obsolescence of facilities.

Footage released by the Emergencies Ministry shows charred cars and helmeted rescuers trying to put out the fire and clear the rubble.

Local authorities said 35 people died and 64 were injured. A previous report reported 80 injured.

The explosion, which occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday, ravaged a gas station in the suburbs of Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan, causing a deep crater and a gigantic fire, according to images broadcast by Russian television.

“Employees of the Emergencies Ministry are continuing their rescue operations,” the ministry said.

“Everything around us was in flames (…), we could not see anything”, told the Russian television channel Ren-TV, while doctors treated his head wound.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims and “wished a speedy recovery to the injured”, according to a statement from the Kremlin. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Moscow, also offered his condolences.

Along the shores of the Caspian Sea, the region of Dagestan, with a Muslim majority, has around three million inhabitants and borders Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Russian republic of Chechnya.

“The causes of the tragedy are being clarified”, declared on Telegram the leader of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, praising the “heroic acts” of the rescuers who allowed, according to him, to avoid a death toll more heavy.

An investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances of the disaster, according to the Russian Investigative Committee, responsible for the main investigations in the country.

According to Mr. Melikov, the explosion occurred shortly before 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT) at a gas station near the village of Novokouli, in the suburb of Makhachkala, on the Caspian Sea.

According to the investigators, a fire occurred during car maintenance work, followed by a detonation which caused a much larger fire, damaging surrounding buildings and vehicles.

According to a witness quoted on Telegram by the Russian daily Izvestia, the fire broke out in an area where cars were parked and spread to the gas station.

A video published by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti and filmed by a motorist shows flames rising from a building, then a gigantic explosion.

A few hours later, the fire, which spread over around 600 m2 and mobilized 260 firefighters, was extinguished, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

An Il-76 medical aircraft was dispatched to Makhachkala by the Russian authorities to evacuate the seriously injured to the Russian capital Moscow, the ministry added.

Seventeen wounded were evacuated by air to the Russian capital, according to the authorities.

A day of mourning was declared Tuesday in Dagestan. “Flags will be flown at half-mast across the country, and cultural institutions and TV stations will be asked to cancel events and entertainment programs,” Melikov said.

“Following an investigation by the police, everything will be done for justice to prevail and for the safety of the Dagestanis to be ensured”, he assured, in an address to his fellow citizens. .