Explosion in oil depot of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, 125 people dead so far

Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents are fleeing to Armenia after Azerbaijan's army launched a campaign last week and fully claimed the area. Meanwhile this incident of explosion happened.

So far 125 people have died due to the explosion in an oil depot in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. Karabakh officials reported 20 people killed on Tuesday morning. However, after this the number of victims increased rapidly. This incident happened when residents leaving the area were standing in a queue to get their cars filled with oil.

The Armenian Health Ministry said that the bodies of those killed in the explosion near Stepanakert, the capital of Karabakh, have been transported to Armenia. Earlier on Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had said that hundreds of people have been burnt due to the explosion.

Rule of separatists for three decades

Let us tell you that the area was ruled by separatists for three decades. Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents are fleeing to Armenia after Azerbaijan's army launched a campaign last week and fully claimed the area. Meanwhile this incident of explosion happened.

Armenia lost to Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's military defeated Armenian forces in a 24-hour offensive last week, forcing separatist officials to lay down their arms and agree to begin talks on the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule.

Azerbaijan has committed to respecting the rights of the native Armenians in the region and promised to restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, but many local residents fear they could face reprisals. Such people are preparing to move out of Armenia.

Exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh residents

The Armenian government said that as of Monday evening, more than 6,500 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had fled Armenia. Russia said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh are helping people flee. As of Monday night, there were about 700 people in the peacekeepers' camp.

Armenian military support

Nagorno-Karabakh had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian army, since the separatist war ended in 1994. In 2020, Azerbaijan regained control of the area around it formerly claimed by Armenia.