Five children killed in Russia's Urals school collapse

Moscow, Oct 1 (UNI) At least five children were killed and four injured today when a staircase collapsed in a school in the town of Belyayevka, in the Orenburg Region of Russia's Urals.

Rescuers have evacuated more than 700 people from the three-storey school building.

A total of 11 people have so far been rescued from under the rubble, Russian television stations reported. All of the dead are 11th grade students in their late teens.

Rescue workers do not rule out that more bodies could be buried under the debris, RIA Novosti news agency said.

Preliminary reports said, a supporting wall gave way, causing three flights of stairs between the third and the second floors of the three-storey school building to collapse.

The collapse was allegedly caused by safety violations during a renovation work.

A criminal case has been launched and a group of detectives and a forensic team are working at the scene.

UNI XC ARB AS1648