Apartment blast kills 7 in Russia, several missing

Moscow, Jan 9 (UNI) At least seven people were killed in a household gas blast in a residential building in Kazan, the capital of the Russian Volga republic of Tatarstan.

A spokesman for the local rescue team told Russian news agencies today the blast occurred at 0:26 am Moscow time, destroying a section of a three-storey building. The fire that followed the explosion was put out within an hour.

He said five people were rescued. The condition of one of them was reported to be critical in a nearby hosptial.

Rescue teams working at the scene said up to 15 people could still be in the building.

They are continuing to search for trapped residents in the debris.

With temperatures at almost 30 degrees below zero, rescuers are in a race against time to reach survivors, Russian TV channels reported.

UNI XC SKB RN1930