Rescue and medical personnel work following an explosion in the gasoline warehouse near the Stepanakert-Askera highway in Berkadzor, Nagorno-Karabakh in this handout picture released September 25, 2023. Ministry of Internal Affairs, Republic of Artsakh/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
At least 170 persons were killed in a massive explosion at a gasoline storage in Nagorno-Karabakh on Monday.
The news represents a significant increase from the authorities’ earlier estimate of 68 dead.
Remains discovered at the bomb site will now be transferred to Armenia for DNA analysis in order to identify the fatalities.
Ethnic Armenians were queuing at overcrowded gas stations, wanting to get out of the region after it was handed over to Azerbaijan.
The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh stated that rescue crews were still searching the region.
It is still unclear what triggered the explosion on the evening of September 25 in Khankendi, often known as Stepanakert by Armenians.
Hospitals were struggling to treat the 290 people injured in the blast after an effective blockade since December 2022 left them with severe shortages of medical supplies. Some of the injured have now been evacuated by Armenian helicopters.
