At least 20 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a fuel depot explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh amid an exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region following a lightning military offensive by Azerbaijan.
The region’s health department said 13 bodies were found and seven people had died of their wounds after the blast outside the regional capital of Stepanakert late on Monday, reports Al Jazeera.
It also said 290 people had been hospitalized and “dozens of patients remain in critical condition”. The warehouse was used to give out fuel to those who wanted to leave the region by their cars. Hundreds of people were gathered there when the explosion took place.
A team of medics are en route from Yerevan to Stepanakert by helicopter to help the victims, carrying necessary medication and medical supplies, the healthcare ministry said. Last week’s offensive came after a months-long blockade of the region by Azerbaijan that caused shortages of essential supplies.
“As a result of the explosion, Azerbaijan prepared nearby local hospitals and started negotiations on the evacuation of the wounded, but representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh did not accept this proposal,” said Al Jazeera’s correspondent Osama bin Javaid, reporting from the Azerbaijani city of Horadiz.
The announcement of the death toll came amid people fleeing the region, with Armenia saying that 13,350 “forcibly displaced persons” entered the country. In a statement, the government also said it would provide accommodation for all those in need.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
