MOSCOW (AP) — Two bodies have been pulled from the rubble following an explosion at a petrol station in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan, bringing the death toll to at least 12, authorities said.
The explosion on Friday triggered a fire that tore through the site, including a cafeteria, on the outskirts of the regional capital, Makhachkala, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
Two children were among the dead, and the fire has been extinguished.
Makhachkala is about 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) south of Moscow.
Regional authorities said a criminal investigation into the cause of the explosion has been opened, and Saturday has been declared a day of mourning in Dagestan.
Last August, a massive explosion at a gas station in Dagestan killed 35 people and injured 115 more.
