Four people were killed in an explosion at a petrol station in Grozny
A gas tank exploded at the "Lider" fuel station in the Akhmatovsky district of Grozny, killing four people, including two adults and two children, according to local authorities. Telegram channel "Baza" reported that the victims were fatally injured by the force of the flying tank. Emergency services informed TASS that there are additional casualties and several vehicles were damaged in the blast.
The explosion comes amid concerns about safety violations at the station. According to the Telegram channel SHOT, Rostekhnadzor found nine safety breaches during a 2021 inspection. These included the absence of automatic leak detection systems, a missing check valve on the compressor pipeline, and unsafe loading and unloading procedures.
Opposition figures from the Chechen Telegram channel 1ADAT, operating from abroad, claim the fuel station is owned by the family of Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. They allege that inspections at Kadyrov-linked stations are often delayed and critical violations remain unaddressed, though they did not provide specific evidence to back these claims.
The fire has since been extinguished, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, with rescue teams now clearing the debris. Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the failure to meet safety standards during the station's operations.
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