12 dead, over 60 injured in fire at Russian gas station

Unverified videos on social media showed a large fire and a number of injured people in a local hospital.

Updated on: Aug 15, 2023, 04:57:27 IST

ReutersPosted by Nisha Anand

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A fire at a gas station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan killed 12 people including two children, Russian officials said early on Tuesday.

A view shows firefighting vehicles at the accident scene following an explosion at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala, Russia, August 14, 2023. (via REUTERS)

The fire started at an auto repair shop on the roadside of a highway in Dagestani capital Makhachkala on Monday night and caused blasts spreading to a nearby gas station, officials said.

Footage posted online showed a one-storey building ablaze, Reuters TV reported.

"It's like a war here," a witness said.

The number of injuries rose to over 60 people, Dagestani Governor Sergei Melikov said in a video statement early on Tuesday. Thirteen of the wounded are children, Interfax said citing the Dagestani health ministry.

It took fire fighters more than three and a half hours to put out the fire that spread into an area of 600 square meters (715 square yards), TASS reported, citing a statement from the Russian emergency service.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nisha Anand
Trainee Content Producer at HT Digital. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music.

Get the latest World News, breaking headlines and global updates from the US, UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and other countries. Follow major international events on Hindustan Times.