Death toll from Artsakh fuel depot blast climbs to 170

The death toll from an explosion at a fuel depot in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has jumped to 170 people, local authorities announced on Friday.

The powerful blast at the facility near Stepanakert occurred on September 25, days after Azerbaijan’s military offensive which saw Baku seize full control of Artsakh and spurred an exodus of thousands of ethnic Armenians.

"To date, a total of 170 bodies and remains have been found in the same area and handed over to the forensic medical examination bureau," Artsakh’s State Service of Emergency Situations said in a statement.

Authorities said earlier that the blast had killed 68 people and wounded 200 others.