Updated with death toll.
At least seven people were killed in a gas explosion at an apartment block in the Ural Mountains region of Sverdlovsk on Thursday, Russian emergency officials said.
A large part of the five-story panel building in the industrial city of Nizhny Taigil was completely torn to pieces, videos showed. Officials told state media that a natural gas tank likely exploded, causing the apartment block to collapse.
According to news outlets, residents living nearby said they heard a powerful blast early Thursday.
By Friday evening, Russia’s Emergency Services Ministry said seven bodies including those of children had been recovered from the rubble. More than a dozen others were rescued from the collapsed apartment block.
Law enforcement authorities launched a criminal probe into the incident.
Gas explosions in residential buildings are not uncommon in Russia. Many apartment blocks built during the Soviet era are poorly maintained and repair work is sometimes delayed for years or never done at all.
According to the state-run TASS news agency, the apartment block that collapsed on Thursday was constructed in 1974 and was scheduled to undergo major remodeling in 2032.
Last September, a gas explosion at a residential building outside Moscow killed several people and injured dozens more.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.