Two Russian tourists killed in arms depot explosion in Abkhazia

Two Russian tourists died in an arms depot explosion in Primorskoye, a village in Abkhazia’s Gudauta district, yesterday, 2 August. The blast hit as the two women were riding horses [a popular pastime among vacationers] nearby.

They had come to Abkhazia from Saint-Petersburg. Another 63 were hospitalized in Gudauta, Novy Afon and Sukhum. No reports of how grave their injuries are have been released yet. The territory around the depot has been sealed off, as ministry of defense and ministry of emergencies staff are gathering evidence on the scene. The cause of the explosion has yet to be established. The depot belongs to the defense ministry, and its patrols are guarding the perimeter of the area.

Witnesses told JAMnews:

“I was driving on the highway, close to the depot, when I heard the blast. It was so strong my car literally jumped. I thought all four tyres had exploded.”

“The explosion made the walls in my house in Gudauta shake violently. It was scary.”

“When the explosion hit, we thought it was an earthquake, what with the ceilings shaking and doors banging.”