MOSCOW: Russia said on Saturday that the death toll from a blast at a gas station in Dagestan has jumped to 13.
The emergency services ministry announced on Telegram that rescuers discovered three additional bodies in the rubble Saturday morning, following the recovery of 10 bodies the previous day, including those of two children.
The ministry also reported 23 injuries and shared a video showing firefighters and rescue teams working in the still-smoldering aftermath of the explosion.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the provision of hazardous services that resulted in multiple fatalities, a crime that could lead to up to ten years in prison. Investigators noted that two blasts preceded a fire at the service station in the village of Novy Khushet, although no traces of explosives have been found.
The emergencies ministry stated that the fire spread extensively, destroying the building. This incident follows a similar explosion in August 2023 at a service station in a suburb of Makhachkala, which killed 37 people and injured 119. Such accidents are not uncommon in Russia, often attributed to safety standard violations and aging infrastructure.
