Three of the dead were children, Dagestan Governor Sergei Melikov said.
The explosion occurred on Monday night on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the capital of the region. The fire started at an auto repair shop and spread to a nearby gas station, sparking an explosion, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country’s Emergencies Ministry. The fire spread through the 600-square-meter (yard) service station, according to the report.
Some of the injured would be airlifted to Moscow for treatment, according to the report.
Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation.
