World

Fire at Russian gas station kills 12, injures over 60

August 15, 2023 11:57 am

[Source: Reuters]

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

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.

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“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.

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