The death toll from an explosion at a petrol station in Dagestan in Russia’s Caspian Sea region has increased to 13, including two children, according to the emergencies ministry on Saturday.
The Ministry further reported that the explosion, which occurred on Friday outside the regional capital of Makhachkala, had injured 23 people.
Alexei Kuznetsov, the healthcare minister aide additionally said that four people were still hospitalized, including one in serious condition. Russian state news agency RIA reported.
Dagenergo, the regional power operator, had revealed on Friday that power supply was slightly disrupted in nearby districts.
A local branch of the Investigative Committee, in charge of dealing with serious crimes in Russia had said that it had opened a criminal case but the committee had written on Telegram that preliminary results had shown no traces of explosives at the scene.
Meanwhile, the Dagestan Governor Sergei Melikov had in press briefing, said that some violations had previously been discovered during inspections of the petrol station but that these had been agreed upon before the blast.
Over 130 petrol stations in Dagestan which shut down over the past year for varying violations had resumed operations due to local court decisions, according to Melikov.
In the mean time, local authorities have declared September 28 a day of mourning in the region.
