BAKU, September 29. /TASS/. Azerbaijan's Emergencies Ministry has reported the completion of search and rescue operations at the site of an explosion at a gas station near the city of Khankendi (Stepanakert).

"The Azerbaijani Emergencies Ministry has completed the search and rescue operation at the site of an explosion and fire at a gas station near the city of Khankendi. The rescuers of the Emergencies Ministry have recovered the bodies of 48 victims from the rubble and handed them over to the relevant bodies. The necessary safety measures have been taken at the site," the ministry said in a statement.

On September 27, the Emergencies Ministry said it had sent 50 rescuers and ten special vehicles to take part in search and rescue operations at the site of a tanker explosion at a gas station near Khankendi.

The explosion occurred on Monday evening at a gas storage tank near the Stepanakert-Askeran highway. More than 200 people were reported injured. The causes of the incident are not yet known. The large number of injured is due to the crowd of people trying to get to Armenia.