All news

Over 20 victims of banqueting room blast in Makhachkala in hospital

Five people are in grave condition

MAKHACHKALA, August 1 /TASS/. Twenty-one people who were injured in the banqueting room blast in Makhachkala, the Republic of Dagestan, on Monday afternoon remain in hospital and another seven have received outpatient treatment, the press service of the Dagestani Health Ministry told TASS.

"Five people are in grave condition," the Health Ministry source said. Previous reports said that the number of casualties had increased to 23.

The city emergency services clarified to TASS that a pepper gun had exploded at the Laili banqueting room. It was not a leak from a long-distance gas pipeline as some media initially reported.

The press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry department for Dagestan reported earlier on Monday that a duty officer of the department’s crisis management center had received a call at 15:10 Moscow time. He was told that a clap of steam-and-gas mixture had been heard at the Laili banqueting room in Makhachkala.