Collapsed building in Moscow kills at least one
Part of a residential building has collapsed in an explosion in Moscow, killing at least one person according to Russian media.
The Interior Ministry says the collapse was caused by an explosion, but the reason had not been established. He said there were casualties, but had no exact information.
The ITAR-Tass news agency said one person was killed and eight pulled out alive of a 10-yard wide hole down the length of the house.
Local television showed footage of rescuers walking over piles of bricks, ceiling panels and twisted metal. TVS television said all five floors were down in one part of the building.
Korolyov Street, where the building is located, was packed with ambulances and fire appliances, and residents stood looking at the wreckage.
ITAR-Tass said four of the eight pulled from the wreckage were seriously injured, including one woman with burns over 80% of her body. The Emergency Situations Ministry said 20-25 people could be under the wreckage.
Three years ago, a series of explosions at blocks of flats that authorities blamed on Chechen rebels rocked Moscow and other cities, killing about 300 people.
Those blasts, which became one of the Kremlin's arguments for sending troops back into the separatist region, severely unnerved Russians.
Interfax cited an anonymous source in the Federal Security Service as saying the latest collapse was probably caused by a gas leak, not a bomb.
Most Russian apartments use natural gas for cooking. Leaks from aging pipes and stoves are common, killing and injuring scores of people every year.
