Putin Offers Condolences to Families of Victims of the Dagestan Fire

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences on Wednesday to the families of 35 people who died in a major fire and explosion that destroyed a car repair workshop near a highway in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. In a video conference from the Kremlin, Putin stated, "We extend our condolences to all the families of our citizens and our people who have lost their lives." Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova informed Putin that 35 individuals, including three children, had died, and 119 people were injured, among them 20 children. Dagestan Governor Sergey Melikov mentioned that the causes of the incident were "greed and avarice," which led to violations of all logical safety rules. Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurinov expressed concern to Putin regarding the reasons behind the fire. Putin noted that investigators are looking into the causes of the blaze. Video footage from the scene showed a large fire followed by a significant explosion that left a wide crater.