At least 10 people, including two children, have died after a big blast at a gas station in Dagestan, Russia, on Friday.
The explosion happened near Makhachkala, the capital city, and it hurt 11 other people, as per the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The blast was so strong that it tore apart the gas station. It also started a fire that spread over an area as big as 500 square meters, burning down the technical area and a nearby cafe.
Emergency helpers came quickly. About 120 rescuers worked hard to put out the fire. By late Friday, the fire was under control but not completely out.
We still don’t know what caused this explosion. In the beginning, the ministry reported that 5 people died and 3 were hurt, but later they updated these numbers.
The ministry posted on Telegram, saying:
“The station’s building is destroyed. The technical area and the cafeteria are burning over a surface of 500 square meters.”
Such accidents happen often in Russia. Broken rules and old buildings make things like this happen more frequently.
In August 2023, there was another explosion at a gas station in the same area. That time, 37 people died and 119 got hurt.