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Two Russian tourists killed in Abkhazian ammunition depot blast identified

The third tourist who went missing following the blast, has been found and taken to hospital

© Artiom Geodakyan/TASS

SUKHUM, August 3. /TASS/. Two tourists killed in a blast at the Abkhazian Defense Ministry’s ammunition depot have been identified as Yelena Poliakova, born in 1970, and Yelena Timofeyeva, born in 1962, Abkhazian Emergencies Ministry Spokesman Mizan Lomiya said on Thursday. According to him, both blast victims were Russian nationals.

Read also

Two bodies found after ammunition depot blast in Abkhazia

The third tourist who went missing following the blast, has been found and taken to hospital, a source in Abkhazia’s Interior Ministry told TASS.

The third woman who was with them [two tourists whose dead bodies were found on Thursday - TASS], suffered wounds, she has been taken to hospital," the source said. On Wednesday, an explosion rocked the Abkhazian Defense Ministry’s ammunition depot located in the Primorskoye settlement, Gudautsky District. As a result, up to 60 people were injured. An investigation into the incident has been launched.

Abkhazia’s law enforcement agencies said that three tourists had gone missing, but since explosions at the ammunition depot continued for four hours (from 16:30 to 20:30 Moscow time - from 13:30 to 17:30 GMT), it was impossible to search the area. Search operation was launched only after explosions ceased.

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