Makhachkala explosion questions quality of fuelling station inspections

In Dagestan, the fuelling stations that were closed due to violations resume their operation by court orders, but the risk of explosions and loss of life remains, therefore, more thorough inspections are needed, Albert Esedov, a political analyst, and Arsen Magomedov, a lawyer, believe. A Makhachkala resident has confirmed that some fuelling stations are located too close to residential buildings.

The explosion was at least the 15th incident with explosions and fires at fuelling stations in Dagestan in the last ten years. At least 54 people perished in them, the "Caucasian Knot" has calculated. After each explosion, authorities promised to solve the problem of fuelling station safety, but this never happened.

Many petrol stations in Dagestan have long become full-fledged complexes, where one can not only fill up the car, but also buy what the car needs, use maintenance services, and relax, Albert Esedov, a political analyst, has explained. Meanwhile, according to his story, such stations should not be located near residential buildings.

According to Arsen Magomedov, a lawyer and a member of the "Our City" movement, there are three problems that can lead to emergencies at fuelling stations. The main one is failure to comply with the minimum distance between such stations and residential and other buildings, which should be 100-150 meters.

Another problem is failure to comply with the procedures for putting fuelling stations into operation. According to the expert, administrations continue issuing permits under old rules.

And the third problem is failure to comply with fuelling station operation rules. This concerns allowing untrained personnel to work at fuelling stations, which can lead to a dangerous situation.