Massive Blast at Nagorno-Karabakh Fuel Depot Claims Multiple Lives and Sparks Mass Evacuation

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a fuel depot explosion and fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, following a lightning military offensive by Azerbaijan. The death toll has risen to 68, with 105 people missing and 290 wounded. The explosion occurred outside the regional capital of Stepanakert, where the depot was being used to distribute fuel to those fleeing the region. Thousands of ethnic Armenians have been fleeing the area, with Armenia reporting that 28,120 have entered the country. The US has called for humanitarian access to the region and pledged $11.5 million in aid. The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has a long history, with the territory being internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but heavily populated by ethnic Armenians.