An Explosion And Fire At A Service Station In Russia's Chechnya Kills 4

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, a firefighter extinguishes a large fire after an explosion at a gas station in Grozny, the capital of Chechen republic of Russia, which killed at least four people. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, a firefighter extinguishes a large fire after an explosion at a gas station in Grozny, the capital of Chechen republic of Russia, which killed at least four people. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)
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MOSCOW (AP) — An explosion at a gas station in Russia’s southern region of Chechnya killed at least four people, officials said Saturday.

The explosion of a gas tank triggered a fire at the service station in the regional capital, Grozny, said Russia’s Emergencies Ministry, adding that two children were among the dead. The fire was extinguished.

Grozny is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Moscow.

Regional authorities said a criminal investigation was opened.

Last month an explosion at a gas station in the neighboring region of Dagestan killed at least 13 people and injured 23 others.