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A massive explosion at a petrol station in Russia’s southern Republic of Dagestan has left 27 people dead with 102 injured.
Dagestan’s governor Sergei Melikov said that three of those killed were children, TASS reports.
The explosion took place on Monday night on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the region’s capital
"As of 6:00 a.m. local time (3:00 a.m. GMT) on August 15, the tragedy killed 27 people and left 102 injured," Melikov’s press service quoted him as saying.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry said earlier that the gas station blast in Makhachkala had killed 27 and left 75 injured.
A fire started at a car repair shop and spread to a nearby petrol station, causing an explosion, the Emergency Ministry said.
The subsequent fire affected an area of 600 square metres.
Efforts continue to clear the rubble and search for potential survivors. Search-and-rescue dog teams are working at the site.
In addition, the Emergencies Ministry’s Il-76 aircraft has departed from Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport to airlift the injured to the hospital.
Russian authorities have begun a criminal investigation.