An explosion and en ensuing fire at a gas station in Russia's Daghestan region has killed 12 people, including 2 children, and injured another 11, Russia's Emergencies Ministry reported on September 28.
Eight victims were hospitalized, Russian Deputy Health Minister Aleksei Kuznetsov told Russian media. The fire was later extinguished.
The blast occurred at a Plus gas station on the outskirts of the regional capital, Makhachkala, close to the village of Novy Khushet, the Emergencies Ministry said.
Makhachkala is located some 1,600 kilometers south of Moscow.
The ministry said the gas station has been completely destroyed.
"The service station and the canteen are burning on 500 square meters. Two cars and a truck have been damaged," the ministry's Telegram channel reported.
The regional emergency services told the agency earlier that the clearing of rubble at the site was continuing.
According to local energy supplier Dagenergo, power facilities in the area of the explosion were damaged and power supply was disrupted in nearby areas.
According to emergency services cited by Russian news agencies, the clearing of the rubble at the site was under way and there may be people buried under the rubble.
The Daghestan department of the Investigative Committee opened an investigation into criminal negligence and how safety requirements had been observed at the station.
Authorities declared September 28 a day of mourning in memory of the victims of the explosion, the press service of the leadeship of the republic reported.
The RIA Novosti news agency, citing the Daghestan prosecutor's office, said the explosion occurred at about 17:30 Moscow time (1330 GMT/UTC) on September 27.
Shot Telegram channel reported that there were two explosions.
In August last year, a large explosion at a gas station killed 35 people and injured another 113.