An explosion happened at a place where fuel is stored in Nagorno-Karabakh. Sadly, 20 people have died and many more have been injured, according to the local Armenian officials.
Almost 300 people were taken to hospitals, and many of them were said to be in very serious condition.
The Armenian government said that 19,000 refugees have entered the country from the enclave where local forces gave up to Azerbaijan.
About 120,000 ethnic Armenians live in the area that is being argued about.
It is still not known what caused the big boom on Monday evening near the main city of Khankendi, which Armenians call Stepanakert.
Many people are rushing to leave the area because of a fuel shortage, causing petrol stations to be extremely busy. This area had already been dealing with a lack of fuel for several months.
The only road that links Armenia to the enclave is very congested with many cars and buses. These vehicles are filled with ethnic Armenians who are trying to reach the town of Goris on the other side of the border.
The curvy mountain road from Goris to Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan, has had a lot of traffic even before sunrise.
A group of people from the BBC saw families squeezed inside cars, with the trunks overflowing and lots of things stacked up on roof-racks. People think they are permanently moving out of their homes, so they are trying to fit all of their things into their cars.
In Goris, a tiny town that has the same dusty brown color as the rugged mountains that enclose it, the thin roads are crowded with more cars and more families. Someone came in a car that was barely held together with tape. The car had a lot of damage on the side, with holes from flying pieces and broken windows.
The person who owns the place told BBC that it was attacked by bombs when Azerbaijan quickly started a fight to gain control of the area last week. “But it brought us to this point,” he happily says while being surrounded by little kids.
In the middle of the town square, lots of people are standing around not knowing what to do next. Volunteers give people simple food and warm blankets.
People who need to leave their homes because of an emergency are being recorded and sometimes taken to another place by bus. However, not many people have a clear plan or idea of what to do next after reaching this point.
Malina left her husband’s burial place behind in their village. He passed away shortly after the war that lasted for six weeks in 2020, which was the most recent outbreak of violence before this month.
She says he couldn’t handle the pressure. She is watching four grandchildren who are playing close by at the moment. They believe that this trip is not permanent, and they will eventually return home just like they did the last time. Malina doesn’t want to upset them by telling them the truth yet.
Last week, for two days, they stayed together in their cellar because their village was being attacked. After the Karabakh forces gave up, Malina says the community leaders told everyone to go to Armenia, to be safe. The village in the Martakert area of Nagorno-Karabakh is now deserted.
Malina explained that her family decided to leave because, regardless of any promises, they didn’t think they would be secure living under Azerbaijani control.
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20 people killed in fuel storage explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh
