A massive explosion rocked a petrol station in Russia’s Dagestan on Friday, after a gas cylinder blast triggered a massive fireball into the sky. Video footage of the dramatic moment when the gas station burst into huge flames surfaced online.
According to local authorities, the blast was caused by a depressurised gas cylinder, which in turn blew up several other cylinders and fuel pumps.
At least four people have lost their lives in the mishap, and several others were injured, according to a Mirror report. The explosion took place in the Sulevkent village of the Khasavyurt district.
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The explosion is said to be so powerful that an entire petrol station, a nearby service centre, and nearby food stalls were flattened due to its force
Terrifying visuals surface online
Footage and images captured by locals who were on the scene went viral and show a horrific moment of the blast as terrified people fled for their lives.
Notably, this is not the first time such a tragedy has struck the region.
Recently, Dagestan prosecutors have reportedly launched a probe into the latest incident, which marks the third petrol station explosion in two years.
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Since 2023, dozens of people have died in similar accidents in the republic, which borders Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Previous explosions
In 2023, a huge blast at a Russian Dagestan gas station killed 35 individuals and left dozens more injured.
The government at the time said at least 115 people were injured in the blast and subsequent fire, and 35 of them died, including three children.
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The blast took place on the outskirts of the capital, Makhachkala, following a fire that broke out at a car repair service and spread to a gas station nearby, causing the explosion.
Another such accident was reported in September 2024, when 13 people lost their lives in an explosion at a petrol station in Dagestan. A local office of the Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes in Russia, stated that it had launched a criminal case.
