Death toll from Russian blast rises to 24
Rescuers found four more bodies in the rubble of a store in northern Russia overnight, bringing the death toll from Monday’s explosion and fire to 24.
Investigators have also found the remnants of two plastic bottles smelling of flammable liquids near the entrance to the two-story store in Ukhta, said Yuri Knyazev, a spokesman for the Komi regional prosecutors office, and police are looking for suspects.
He said the bottles were placed in bags near the entrance to the store, forcing people to attempt to escape by jumping out of windows.
It wasn’t clear how many people were in the store at the time of the explosion, early Monday afternoon.
Seven people, including one infant, are in hospital in intensive care, Knyazev said.
Russian news reports said a business dispute may be behind the incident.
Ukhta is located in the far northern region of Komi, about 800 miles north-east of Moscow.
