Deadly gas station fire in Makhachkala kills 35 and injures 75 more as fuel tanks detonate State flags are flying at half-staff across Dagestan in mourning for the victims

A catastrophic gas station fire broke out around 9:50 p.m. on Monday night on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Engulfing a total area of 600 square meters (close to 6,500 square feet), the flames triggered explosions, setting off two of the eight fuel storage tanks on site.

The catastrophe has left 35 people dead and 75 injured, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Emergencies. Five of the bodies were recovered from the rubble once the fire was extinguished, three hours after its start. Seventy firefighters and 20 fire-trucks were mobilized to fight the disaster.

Investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the fire, says Sergey Melikov, the Governor of Dagestan. The official also pointed out that, by keeping the remaining six fuel tanks from exploding, emergency workers have kept the number of casualties far below what it could have been otherwise.

The families of people killed in the fire will each receive a million rubles (or about $10,000) in compensation from the regional government. Those who were injured will receive payments of 200,000 or 400,000 rubles ($2,000 or $4,000), depending on the severity of their condition.

Dagestan has declared August 15 a day of mourning for the victims of the fire. The authorities are encouraging TV channels and cultural organizations to cancel entertainment programming and events for the day. State flags across Dagestan will be at half-staff until Wednesday.