Late on September 25, a devastating explosion rocked a fuel depot near Stepanakert/Khankendi, causing deaths and numerous injuries. Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh indicated that they were having difficulty determining the exact number of casualties and the cause of the explosion in a timely manner.

Karabakh Human Rights Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan reported that more than 200 people were injured in the explosion. He also highlighted the limitations of Stepanakert's main hospitals, which are currently unable to provide adequate care for all the injured due to their limited capacity and lack of medical supplies. Stepanyan stressed the need to urgently transport the critically injured to hospitals in Armenia for treatment.

Videos shared on social media show a long line of vehicles near the gas station. The station had recently received a large shipment of gasoline, the first since traffic through the Lachin corridor was blocked by Baku in December. It appears that the owners of these vehicles were waiting to refuel with the intention of crossing into Armenia with their families.
According to the Azerbaijani news agency APA, Azerbaijan has sent medical supplies to help those affected by the explosion in Stepanakert. Azerbaijan has also opened its airspace for the transportation of wounded citizens for treatment in Armenia. On the morning of September 26, the first Armenian medical helicopters landed in Karabakh. According to Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev, treatment of the injured was also offered in Azerbaijani hospitals in Aghdam and Sabirabad. 

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna wrote on her X microblog: "France is ready to send emergency aid. Azerbaijan should allow immediate access for humanitarian aid".