A gas depot exploded amid an exodus of ethnic Armenians from the disputed province
A minimum of 125 folks had been killed in Monday’s explosion at a gas depot in Nagorno-Karabakh, in line with Armenian media reviews on Tuesday. The blast happened as tens of 1000’s of ethnic Armenians fled the area forward of its takeover by Azerbaijan.
The stays of 125 folks had been transported to Armenia on Monday, Pan Armenian Information reported, citing Well being Minister Anahit Avanesian. Preliminary reviews following the blast put the loss of life toll at 29, with virtually 300 injured and an unknown quantity lacking.
Positioned on a freeway close to the self-declared regional capital of Stepanakert (often called Khankendi in Azerbaijan), the gas depot exploded on Monday as crowds of individuals queued to fill their automobiles. Video footage from the scene confirmed widespread devastation, with a thick plume of oily black smoke towering into the sky over the destroyed facility.
The blast got here virtually every week after secessionist leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered to the Azerbaijani navy following a day-long assault characterised by Baku as “counter-terrorism measures.” Underneath the phrases of the give up, Nagorno-Karabakh will likely be returned to Azerbaijani management, virtually three many years after the enclave received quasi-independence following a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1994.
Fearing ethnic cleaning below Baku’s management, tens of 1000’s of ethnic Armenians have fled the area following the ceasefire. As of Tuesday night, 28,120 of Nagorno-Karabakh’s 120,000 Armenians – or virtually 1 / 4 of the province’s inhabitants – had entered Armenia, in line with authorities in Yerevan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has referred to as on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to make sure that the human rights of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian inhabitants are protected below his rule. Aliyev has promised to take action, however has beforehand referred to Aremenians as “not even worthy of being servants,” and is taken into account a human rights abuser by Western observers.
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