Tragedy in Grozny: Gas station blast claims four lives
Four people died, and five were injured due to a fuel tank explosion at a gas station in Grozny, in the Chechen Republic, part of the Russian Federation. Terrifying footage of the explosion moment has appeared online.
On Saturday evening, firefighters finished extinguishing the fire at the gas station, which broke out earlier that afternoon in the Akhmat district in Grozny. A pillar of fire several metres high was visible above the gas station, and later there was an explosion.
The tank turned into a missile
In addition to a massive ball of fire, footage published online shows, among other things, a fuel tank that turned into a missile after the explosion. The several-ton structure flew into the air and travelled over 300 metres.
Four people were in the "flight" path and died on the spot. The man who managed to record the explosion moment miraculously survived.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the victims were children aged three and five, their mother, and a resident. Five people were injured.
Everything within a 50-metre radius burned
On Saturday night, investigators arrived on the scene and began their inspection. The gas station was completely destroyed. Several cars in the area were also damaged. The Izvestia portal reports that within a 50-metre radius of the explosion, everything burned.
The shock wave also shattered windows in many houses. At this moment, it is unknown what caused the fire.
