Sep 25, 2023 at 10:47 PM Update: 3 hours ago
There was a major explosion at a fuel storage facility in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave on Monday. The separatist government speaks of two hundred injuries and an unknown number of deaths, but these figures have not yet been confirmed by other sources.
The explosion took place at a fuel depot between Stepanakart and Askeran. It is not yet clear how this could have happened.
Images showing large flames are circulating on social media. According to politician Metakse Akopjan, the explosion came when many people were queuing for gasoline because they wanted to flee to Armenia out of fear of the Azerbaijanis.
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Many of the injured are said to be in serious condition, human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said. Emergency services are said to be on site, but the medical capacity of the enclave is not sufficient to treat everyone, according to Stepanyan. He appeals to the international community to allow the injured to be flown for treatment.
Nagorno-Karabakh is located in Azerbaijan, but is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and had a largely autonomous administration. Azerbaijan attacked the enclave last week, claiming to drive out Armenian separatists. After a day, the groups came to a truce.
Since then, thousands of people have fled the enclave. The region’s administration is said to be preparing for a transfer of power to Azerbaijan.
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Image: AFP
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2023-09-25 20:47:00
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