Three killed in Algeria gas explosion

ALGIERS, May 28 (Reuters) An underground gas pipe exploded at a seven-storey building near Algiers today, killing three people and injuring four, the official APS news agency said.

The explosion in the Dely Ibrahim district also damaged eight shops and caused the collapse of the building's stairwell, APS reported.

It was not immediately clear why the pipe exploded. Similar gas explosions, usually caused by technical faults, occur several times a year in the north African country.

REUTERS KK KP2248