At least 20 dead and 300 injured in the explosion of a fuel tank in Nagorno Karabakh

2023-09-26 08:57:00

At least 20 people have been killed and around 300 injured in the explosion of a fuel tank in the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno Karabakh, taken by the Azerbaijan Army after a military operation that began on September 19 and lasted just 24 hours.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Arsas has indicated in a statement published on its account on the social network Facebook that “as a result of the large explosion in a fuel tank in the Askeran290 patients with burns of varying degrees have been admitted” to various medical centers.

“Unfortunately, the lives of seven patients could not be saved and died in the hospital,” he said, before specifying that another thirteen “unrecognizable” bodies have been transferred for forensic tests.

Thus, he has pointed out that “dozens of patients are in critical condition” and added that “many people are reported missing”, so it is feared that the death toll could increase in the coming hours.

Following the event, the Armenian Ministry of Health has indicated in a statement on its website that it has sent a helicopter with a medical team, medicines and medical suppliesto the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh, to help care for the wounded.

For its part, the Presidency of Azerbaijan has highlighted that it has sent an ambulance with medical supplies to treat burn injuries and other material along the road between Aghdam and Jankendi to treat the victims, according to the Azeri state news agency, Azertag.

Just a few hours before, an official Azeri delegation agreed with Armenian representatives from Nagorno Karabakh on the delivery of humanitarian aid, the deployment of health services and a joint task force to restore basic services and rehabilitate the region’s infrastructure.

The Nagorno Karabakh region is a territory of about 4,400 square kilometers in the South Caucasus recovered by Azerbaijan after its latest offensive last week. Until then, the area, with an Armenian majority, had been under the control of pro-Armenian forces for more than three decades despite the fact that the international community recognized the region as Azeri sovereignty. Some live in the area 120,000 Armenians.

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nicole Pashinyanstated on Sunday that the possibility of the Armenian population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region moving to Armenia as part of the reintegration of the territory into Azerbaijan is increasing, before warning of the danger of “ethnic cleansing.”

The Azeri authorities have maintained at all times that their intention is for these people to remain in their homes and have promised to respect their rights, although they have indicated that members of pro-Armenian armed groups and the Armenian Armed Forces They must hand over their weapons and leave the country.