At least 30 people have been killed in an explosion at a petrol station in the Russian republic of Dagestan in the Caucasus, local officials said on Tuesday.
Another 75 people were injured in the blast in Dagestan’s capital, Makhachkala, the state news agency TASS reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Emergency Management.
The authority had initially spoken of 27 dead. The search for victims and clearing of debris was ongoing, it said.
An investigation has been launched into the explosion which occurred on Monday evening.
It is thought that a disregard for safety regulations may have caused the fireball.