MOSCOW (AP) — A total of 10 people died after an apartment block in Russia’s Ural Mountains partially collapsed following a gas explosion earlier this week, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said Saturday, announcing the completion of a search and rescue operation after two days.
Five of the dead were children, the ministry said. Another 15 people, including seven children, were rescued, authorities said.
Photos published by Russian news agencies this week showed much of the five-story prefabricated building in the industrial city of Nizhny Tagil demolished.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the explosion of a natural gas tank was the likely cause. Residents of neighboring blocks told Russian media that they heard a loud explosion immediately before the collapse on Thursday.
The rescue operation involved heavy equipment and more than 550 emergency workers, the ministry said.
Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, suspecting a health and safety failure.
Authorities in Nizhny Tagil declared a day of mourning on Saturday.
