Several apartments have been destroyed by an explosion in a five-floor residential building in the Russian city of Naberezhnye Chelny.
A press official with the Ministry of Emergency Situations told reporters that a “mixture of air and gas” exploded on October 25, ripping through two floors of the building.
“Several apartments on two floors were destroyed…The exact number of casualties is still being established,” the state news agency TASS quoted a source as saying.
“Previously, there was a gas leak in the house. The epicenter of the explosion is being established,” the source added.
Naberezhnye Chelny is an industrial city about 1,000 km (600 miles) directly east of Moscow.
Gas explosions occur with some frequency in Russia due to aging pipelines and infrastructure, as well as lax safety standards.
In September, seven people were killed when an explosion destroyed three floors in a nine-story residential building in Noginsk, just outside of the capital.
