Petrol station explosion kills dozens including three children and injures more than 100 in Russia BREAKING: More to follow By David Averre Published: 07:13 BST, 15 August 2023 | Updated: 07:31 BST, 15 August 2023 e-mail View comments At least 27 people were killed and over 100 injured when a petrol station in the Caucasus republic of Dagestan erupted in a huge explosion, Russia's emergency situations ministry said Tuesday. The disaster in the regional capital of Makhachkala was triggered late Monday evening after a fire broke out at the fuel station, according to Russia's Investigative Committee for Dagestan. Several buildings and cars nearby were severely damaged by the powerful blast, which completely levelled the petrol station and whipped up a brutal inferno. The blazed raged overnight as emergency workers desperately tried to evacuate the injured, and some 260 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames early Tuesday morning. Haunting images from the scene taken this morning showed how the petrol station was reduced to rubble, and an area of hundreds of square feet around the epicentre of the blast was charred and littered with debris. A powerful explosion at a service building of a gas station close to an oil depot in the city of Makhachkala, Dagestan In this image provided by Russian Emergency Situations Ministry press service, firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a petrol station on a road near Makhachkala Firefighters work at the accident scene following an explosion at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala, Russia, in this handout picture published August 15, 2023 The petrol station was completely levelled in the blast, with several other buildings and cars badly damaged 'A total of 102 people were injured as a result of the incident, of whom, unfortunately, 27 died,' the emergencies ministry confirmed on Telegram this morning. In the wake of the blast, Dagestan's regional government declared August 15 a day of mourning, now that evacuations of the injured have been completed. 'State flags will be flown at half mast throughout the country, and cultural institutions and TV channels will be asked to cancel entertainment events and programmes,' said Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan administration. A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading up to the fire, the investigative committee said. A driver operates a road grader while removing debris at the accident scene during a rescue operation following an explosion at a gas station in Makhachkala in the region of Dagestan, Russia, August 15, 2023 This handout photograph taken and released by Russian Emergency Ministry on August 15, 2023, shows rescuers working at the site of a blast at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala This handout photograph taken and released by Russian Emergency Ministry on August 14, 2023, shows rescuers pushing out a fire at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala. At least 27 people were killed and over 100 injured in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan 'A total of 102 people were injured as a result of the incident, of whom, unfortunately, 27 died,' the emergencies ministry said on Telegram A powerful explosion at a service building of a gas station close to an oil depot in the city of Makhachkala, Dagestan Makhachkala, a city of over 600,000 residents on the Caspian Sea, is the capital of Dagestan, a Russian republic bordering Chechnya, which shares a border with Georgia and Azerbaijan. A witness quoted on Telegram by the Russian daily Izvestia said the fire started in an area where cars were parked and spread to the petrol station. 'After the explosion, everything fell on our heads, we couldn't see anything anymore,' said the witness, who was unnamed. A video released by Russia's emergency situations ministry showed a group of firefighters trying to extinguish high flames near burnt-out vehicles, as rescue workers examined the rubble of a building with flashlights. The fire had spread over an area of around 600 square metres (6,450 square feet), the ministry said, adding that 260 firefighters were deployed. A government Il-76 aircraft carrying medical equipment was dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, it added. Share or comment on this article: Petrol station explosion kills dozens including three children and injures more than 100 in Russia e-mail Add comment Comments 0 Share what you think No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules . 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