Explosion and fire in Karabakh: many dead and injured

Many people were reported killed and more than 200 injured in the explosion and subsequent fire that broke out in a gasoline storage area near the Khankendi-Askeran highway in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

According to the official Armenpress news agency, an explosion occurred in the afternoon at the gasoline warehouse located on the Askeran road near Khankendi.

ALL HOSPITALS ARE IN EMERGENCY

Armenian representatives in Karabakh stated that there were many dead and injured as a result of the explosion and subsequent fire.

While all hospitals in Khankendi went into emergency, the number of injured was reported to have exceeded 200, the death toll could not be clarified and most of the injured were in serious condition.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.

AZERBAIJAN BEGINS THE OPERATION

While rising tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia after the Karabakh war, which broke out in 2020, raised concerns about a “new war,” tensions suddenly spiked on September 19.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced the launch of an anti-terrorist operation in the region to restore the constitutional structure in Karabakh. The statement said: “Civilians and infrastructure facilities are not targeted, only legitimate military targets are destroyed. “The Russian Peace Forces Command and the Directorate of the Turkish-Russian Joint Observation Center were informed about the implemented measures.”

The Ministry’s statement also states that the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region have systematically opened fire on Azerbaijani army positions in recent months, continued to lay mines on the land and carried out fortifications and siting works, causing a increased tension. The statement said: “Civilians can leave the area through the corridors created. “Civilians should stay away from legitimate military targets,” he said. (AA)