Huge explosion at gas station kills at least 35 in Dagestan in far southwestern Russia

At least 35 people were killed and more than 100 injured in an explosion at a gas station in the far southwestern Russian republic of Dagestan, Russian officials said.

Among the dead are three children, according to Dagestan's governor, Sergei Melikov.

Footage distributed by emergency services shows firefighters battling enormous blazes at the gas station, next to burned out vehicles.

The explosion in the city of Makhachkala happened after a fire broke out, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee, which probes major incidents, announced on social media.

"A fire occurred during car maintenance work, followed by a bang, as a result of which people were injured and died," the committee said, adding that nearby buildings and cars were damaged.

State-run news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti reported that the fire had been extinguished, citing the emergencies ministry.

A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading to the fire, it added.

Families of the victims will receive 1 million rubles (about $10,000) each, Dagestan authorities said, and those injured - 200,000-400,000 rubles (about $2,000-$4,000).

Tuesday has been declared a day of mourning in Dagestan.

The Kremlin issued a statement saying, "President Putin expresses his most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragedy in Dagestan and wishes a speedy recovery to the victims."

Makhachkala, a city of over 600,000 on the Caspian Sea, is the capital of Dagestan, which borders Chechnya.

Across Russia, in western Siberia, another blast killed two people and wounded five more on Monday night. That explosion occurred at an oil mine in the Khanty-Mansiysk region late in the evening, local authorities said. 

In:
• Russia
• Fire
• Explosion