At least 3 dead in blast in Russia’s south

An explosion has rocked a car service center in the Russian southern city of Makhachkala, leading to a major fire

A powerful blast has occurred at an auto-repair shop in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia’s Dagestan Region in the south. The explosion also caused a major fire at a nearby fuel station, local emergency services told TASS.

The regional emergency service reported that at least three people died in the incident and seven more were injured, TASS reported.The cause of the blast remains unknown. Several Telegram channels have claimed there were five to eight casualties, but official sources have not confirmed these figures.

The Telegram channel SHOT posted a video allegedly capturing the aftermath of the blast. Footage shows massive spurts of flame rising over a large area near the fuel station, which also appears to be on fire. Plumes of black smoke are seen billowing into the sky. According to some reports, the fire spread from the fuel station to nearby buildings.

Emergency crews and medics were dispatched to the scene, the region’s governor, Sergey Melikov, said on Telegram, adding that he was personally monitoring the situation. He also admitted that the exact number of casualties was still unclear.

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