At least four people killed in gas station explosion in southern Russia

This article was originally published in English

Regional authorities said the cause of the explosion in Grozny is unknown but a criminal investigation has been opened.

At least four people were killed in a gas station explosion in southern Russia’s Chechnya region, authorities said.

The explosion of a gas tank sparked a fire at the gas station in the regional capital Grozny, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said.

The ministry said two children were among the dead.

Local media reported that seven fire engines and 35 firefighters were deployed to fight the fire, which has since been extinguished.

Grozny is about 1,500 kilometers south of the capital Moscow.

Regional authorities said the cause of the explosion was unknown but a criminal investigation had been launched.

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, said on social media that he had placed the investigation under his personal supervision.

Last month, an explosion at a gas station in the neighboring region of Dagestan killed at least 13 people and injured 23.