In yet another destructive explosion following several blasts that happened around the world, a huge gas explosion caused by a fire at a gasoline station injured at least 13 people in Southwest Russia.
Several eyewitnesses were able to capture the explosion that happened just 600 miles southeast of Moscow, at a gasoline station in Volgograd. The videos taken by the witnesses showed a cloud of fire and smoke as an enormous fireball shot up into the sky.
Firefighters injured in the blast
According to Independent, 10 of the 13 that were injured were taken to nearby hospitals. The news outlet also reported that the victims included firefighters, who responded to the area after they were called to battle the initial blaze that started at around 12:40 local time.
In a statement by the head of the 1st fire and rescue unit of the region, Vladislav Kopvev, said that the responding firefighters were literally scattered by a wave caused by the blast.
Based on reports, it was believed that a static electricity discharge while pumping fuel from a tanker into the station's underground tank caused the initial blaze. The station's staff were already evacuated from the area before the explosion that led to a larger blaze went off. The blaze spread to more than 1000 square meters around the station.
Around 70 firefighters responded to battle the fire. Firefighting robots were also deployed in order to help extinguish the fire from its center.
Explosions rock the world in the past week
Baltimore, Maryland
Meanwhile, on Monday a gas explosion also erupted in a northwest neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. The blast took the life of one person and injured seven.
After the explosion, crews have swept the area with the aid of K9 units in order to check if there are any other victims. Later that day another victim was pulled from the rubble, however, no information on the victim has been given yet, CBS Baltimore reported.
In order to move the debris left by the explosion, large equipment was brought in by responders.
Beirut, Lebanon
After videos of the blast at Volgograd went viral on social media, many people quickly compared it to the blast that killed around 160 people at a port in Beirut, Lebanon last Tuesday.
According to Aljazeera, the Beirut blast displaced more than 300,000 people. The Governor of the city also stated that authorities are already working on providing these people with shelter, food, and water.
While the cause of the explosion has not been immediately clear at the time, it has been linked to the 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that has been stored in one of the warehouses in the port. The said chemicals were confiscated by authorities six years ago and were kept there since.
On Monday, the entire government of Lebanon stepped down in the aftermath of the explosion which prompted the eruption of violent protests blaming the blast in the government's negligence, CNN reported.
On top of this, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassa Diab addressed the nation and announced that he along with the whole government will step down in the wake of the blast.
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