More than 20 violations were identified at a gas station in Makhachkala before the fire.

Late in the evening of February 16, a tank containing liquefied gas caught fire at a gas storage station in the village of Novy Khushet in Makhachkala. The station operator died in the fire. Dagestan's head, Sergei Melikov, later reported that the leak at the plant could not be completely eliminated, prompting a firefighting team to be deployed. In addition, a high alert regime was declared in Makhachkala to address the consequences of the fire.

On September 27, 2024, an explosion occurred at a gas station located on the highway near the village of Novy Khushet, on the outskirts of Makhachkala. Thirteen people were killed and 11 were injured. The case is being investigated under Part 3 of Article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code (provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the unintentional death of two or more persons). The owner of the gas station, Marat Dzhankhuvatov, has been detained as a suspect. He was transferred from custody to house arrest. The explosion at the Novy Khushet gas station was at least the 15th explosion and fire at gas stations in Dagestan in 10 years. At least 54 people died in the incidents, according to the "Caucasian Knot." According to the regional governor, most warehouses in Dagestan are in the same condition. And no one fears responsibility or consequences. "We need to end this debate. We are both responsible for the lives and health of people," Melikov concluded.

Earlier, the head of Dagestan stated that officials no lower than members of the Dagestani parliament could be implicated in the case of the tank fire at the gas storage station in the village of Novy Khushet on the outskirts of Makhachkala, TASS reported.

"An investigation is currently underway; law enforcement is clarifying the circumstances and identifying the culprits. According to my information, those implicated could include people at the level of members of the People's Assembly. I said it yesterday and I will repeat it today: positions and regalia will not cover anyone. Anyone who, through negligence or criminal intent, created a threat to the lives of Dagestanis will be held accountable under the law," Melikov wrote on his Telegram channel on February 17.

"Caucasian Knot" also wrote that in September In 2025, the investigation into the deaths caused by the explosion at a gas station in Dagestan was completed. Marat Dzhankhuvatov, the owner of the gas station in Novy Khushet where 13 people died, hired unaccredited specialists to repair the gas pipeline. The investigation concluded that the repairs were carried out in violation of safety regulations. After each explosion, authorities promised to address the gas station safety issue, but this never happened, according to the Caucasian Knot article "Explosive Gas Stations: Makhachkala Residents in the Affected Zone," published back in 2017.