MOSCOW—A large explosion at a gas station in Russia's southern region of Dagestan killed 35 people and wounded dozens more, according to Russian officials.
According to Russia's Health Ministry, the bomb and accompanying fire injured 115 individuals, 35 of whom died, including three children.
According to the government, 65 people were hurt, including 16 minors, as of lunchtime Tuesday. Eleven individuals, including two children, were critically injured.
The explosion happened on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the region's capital, on Monday night. The blast was caused by a fire that started at an auto repair shop and spread to a neighboring petrol station.
According to Dagestan's officials, families of the deceased would get 1 million rubles (about $10,000) apiece, while those injured will receive between 200,000 and 400,000 rubles (about $2,000-$4,000). According to Russian official media, some of those injured will be evacuated to Moscow for treatment. Makhachkala is located around 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) south of Moscow.
Authorities have launched a criminal inquiry. Dagestan has declared Tuesday a National Day of Mourning.
A bomb in western Siberia also killed two individuals and injured five more on Monday night. Authorities claimed the explosion happened late at night at an oil mine in the Khanty-Mansiysk area.
The Dagestan explosion was Russia's worst since April 2022, when a fire at a defense research center in Tver, a city 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Moscow, killed 22 people and wounded a dozen more.
Earlier this month, a bomb at a facility north of Moscow that manufactures optical equipment for Russia's security forces killed one person and wounded 84 others.
