Gas blast in Russian residential building kills seven

Seven people killed Tuesday in a natural gas explosion in an apartment building in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

Seven bodies have been recovered in the debris in the search and rescue operation, the ministry said in a statement.

At least eight people were hospitalized and 131 inhabitants had been evacuated for fear of further collapse of the building.

The explosion took place at 04:20 Moscow time (0120 GMT) in a five-story residential building in Yaroslavl, about 250 km northeast of Moscow, destroying five flats and damaging 20 others, the ministry said.

Over 600 people and 150 units of equipment were dispatched for the search and rescue operation, including Mi-8 and Ka-32 helicopters.

The statement did not clarify how many people were at home in the collapsed block at the moment of the explosion.

Rescuers were still working to remove the rubble, and psychologists of the ministry continued providing assistance to victims, their relatives and others, the ministry said.

Governor of Yaroslavl Region Sergei Yastrebov declared Wednesday and Thursday two days of mourning for the victims of the accident in the city. Enditem