The death toll from a devastating explosion at a petrol station in Dagestan, Russia’s Caspian Sea region, has climbed to 13, including two children, the Russian emergencies ministry reported on Saturday.
The blast, which occurred Friday outside the regional capital of Makhachkala, also left 23 people injured. Alexei Kuznetsov, an aide to the healthcare minister, told the state news agency RIA that four individuals remain hospitalized, with one in serious condition.
Local authorities have declared September 28 a day of mourning in the region as search operations continue at the blast site.
The explosion caused partial power disruptions in nearby districts, according to Dagenergo, the regional power operator. The local branch of the Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes in Russia, has opened a criminal case into the incident.
Preliminary investigations have found no traces of explosives at the scene, the committee stated on its Telegram channel, suggesting the blast may have been accidental.
Dagestan Governor Sergei Melikov addressed the incident in a briefing, revealing that while previous inspections had uncovered violations at the petrol station, these issues had reportedly been resolved prior to the explosion. Melikov also noted that over 130 petrol stations in Dagestan that had been closed in the past year due to various infractions had resumed operations following local court decisions.
“This tragic incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining strict safety standards at all times,” Melikov said. “We are conducting a thorough investigation to understand how this happened and to prevent such disasters in the future.”
