Explosion At Russian Service Station Kills 10, Including Two Children

An explosion ripped through a service station in Russia’s Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Friday, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 10 people, including two children, and injuring 11 others. The explosion, which destroyed the station’s building, was reported by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations via the social media platform Telegram. The ministry initially reported five dead and three injured but later updated the casualty figures.

The blast triggered a fire that engulfed both the technical area and the cafeteria, covering a surface area of 500 square meters. Although emergency responders, numbering nearly 120, managed to bring the fire under control, the blaze had not yet been fully extinguished as of the ministry’s last update.

This devastating incident occurred just south of Dagestan’s capital, Makhachkala, and is a grim reminder of a similar tragedy that took place in August 2023. That explosion, followed by a fire at a service station in a Makhachkala suburb, killed 37 people and injured 119.

Accidents of this nature are not uncommon in Russia, often resulting from safety standard violations and ageing infrastructure. Investigations into the cause of the recent explosion are ongoing, but the frequency of such incidents continues to raise concerns about regulatory oversight and facility maintenance in the country.