The death toll from a blast at a Nagorno-Karabakh fuel depot climbed to 170 on Friday.

Monday's explosion took place at a fuel storage facility near Khankendi (Stepanakert), once occupied by Armenian militants.

Azerbaijan launched a counterterrorism operation last week against the separatists.

The cause of the explosion was unclear, and it was reported that the area was crowded as people lined up to get fuel for their cars before leaving the region. Some victims were airlifted out of the region for medical treatment.

The separatists said Friday that forensic experts had been able to piece together "170 remains" of bodies that will be taken to Armenia for identification.

It added that 349 people – most of them suffering severe and critical burns – were being treated in various hospitals across the region.

Azerbaijan suspended its counterterrorism operations in Karabakh on Sept. 13, a day after they were launched to disarm Armenian forces in the region and uphold the 2020 trilateral peace agreement.

Baku announced that medical equipment was sent to Karabakh to address the needs of people injured in the explosion.

Azerbaijan already sent humanitarian aid to the region after the counterterrorism operations, and another convoy for assistance containing food and other materials was also dispatched to Khankendi on Tuesday.