At least seven people, including two children, were killed in Russia on Tuesday when a gas explosion caused part of a block of flats to collapse, officials said.
“Due to the explosion, one section of a five-storey residential building collapsed” in the city of Yaroslavl north of Moscow, the regional emergencies ministry said in a statement.
“Five flats have been completely destroyed. Seven people died, including a teenager and a five-year-old child,” it said. The incident happened around 4:20 am (0120 GMT).
Three injured people rushed to hospital while authorities evacuated 131 residents and put them in temporary housing.
A spokesperson or the emergencies ministry told AFP the reason for the blast was not yet clear but Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had launched a probe into possible safety violations.