At least 20 dead in gas station explosion in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region as residents flee to Armenia

At least 20 people were killed and nearly 300 others were injured in an explosion at a crowded gas station in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, as thousands of ethnic Armenians rushed to flee into neighboring Armenia, the separatist territory's authorities said Tuesday.

Some 28,000 people —about 23% of the region's population— have fled across the border since Azerbaijan defeated separatists who have governed the breakaway region for about 30 years in a swift military operation last week, according to Armenia's government.

Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh scrambled to flee as soon as Azerbaijan lifted a 10-month blockade on the region's only road to Armenia. That blockade had caused severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. While Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of Armenians, many residents feared reprisals.