Thousands flee Karabakh to Armenia, death toll rises in fuel depot blast

Residents gather in central Stepanakert to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hasmik Khachatryan

NEAR KORNIDZOR, Armenia (Reuters) -Hungry and exhausted Armenian families jammed roads on Tuesday to flee homes in the defeated breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a departure blighted by an explosion at a fuel depot that killed dozens and injured more than 100.

The crisis prompted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to announce that Washington would provide $11.5 million in humanitarian assistance.