A blast has rocked a car service center in the city of Makhachkala, leading to a major fire
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An auto-repair shop in Makhachkala – the capital of Russia’s southern Dagestan Region – was the scene of a major blast on Monday evening. The explosion also caused a major fire at a nearby fuel station, local emergency services told TASS.
The regional emergency service reported that at least three people died in the incident and seven more were injured, TASS reported. The cause of the explosion remains unknown. Several Telegram channels have claimed there were five to eight casualties, but official sources have not confirmed these figures.
The Telegram channel SHOT posted a video allegedly capturing the aftermath of the blast. Footage shows massive spurts of flame rising over a large area near the fuel station, which also appears to be on fire. Plumes of black smoke are seen billowing into the sky. According to some reports, the fire spread from the fuel station to nearby buildings.
Emergency crews and medics were dispatched to the scene, the region’s governor, Sergey Melikov, said on Telegram, adding that he was personally monitoring the situation.
Later on Monday, the governor confirmed the deaths of five people. Ten more were injured, he said, citing the regional health authorities.
