At least 13 killed in blast at Russian petrol station

At least 13 people have been killed in a serious explosion at a petrol station in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan on Friday evening, according to Russian news reports.

Two of the dead were children, and 11 people were injured in the blast, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing the regional health authority.

A day of mourning has been declared for today, Saturday, in Dagestan.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown and is under investigation. But an attack has been ruled out, and the Russian State Investigative Committee said no traces of explosives were found at the site.

The blast occurred in a suburb of the regional capital Makhachkala.

The petrol station was severely damaged, and pollutants from the explosion and subsequent fire were measured well above permissible limits 300 to 500 metres away, according to authorities.

A similar explosion at a petrol station had occurred in Makhachkala in August 2023 in which 37 people were killed and 80 injured.

Inspections of petrol stations in the region subsequently revealed numerous safety violations.