 on Monday, according to Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan administration. 'Everything fell on our heads' A witness quoted by Russian daily newspaper Izvestia said that the fire began in an area where cars were parked and then spread to the petrol station. 'After the explosion, everything fell on our heads. We couldn't see anything any more,' said the witness, who was not named. The fire had spread over an area of around 600 sq m (6,450 sq ft), the ministry said, adding that 260 firefighters had been deployed to tackle the blaze. A government Il-76 aircraft carrying medical equipment had been dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, it added. Mr Melikov said that this evacuation operation has since been completed. The Dagestan government declared Aug 15 an official day of mourning. 'State flags will be flown at half mast throughout the country, and cultural institutions and TV channels will be asked to cancel entertainment events and programmes,' Mr Melikov said.){kind=link}
Republic of Dagestan announces official day of mourning after huge blaze in the city of Makhachkala
At least 35 people were killed in an explosion that created a huge fireball at a fuel station in Russia’s remote Caucasus republic of Dagestan, prompting condolences from Vladimir Putin.
The ministry of civil defence and emergencies released images of the accident that show burnt-out cars silhouetted by the massive blaze and rescue workers in helmets attempting to put out the fire and clear rubble.
Government ministries said 35 people had died and a further 80 had been injured.
The Kremlin issued a statement that said: “President Putin expresses his most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragedy in Dagestan and wishes a speedy recovery to the victims.”