An explosion and an ensuing fire at a service station blast kills 12 in Russia’s Dagestan

MOSCOW (AP) — Local officials said two bodies were pulled from the rubble Saturday following an explosion at a gas station in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan, bringing the death toll to at least 12.

The explosion on Friday triggered a fire that tore through the service station and its cafeteria on the outskirts of the regional capital, Makhachkala, said Russia’s Emergencies Ministry, adding that two children were among the dead. The fire was later 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 that 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.

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