A gas explosion rocked a multi-story residential building in southern Russia early Monday, killing one person, authorities said.
The blast, in the town of Shakhty in the southern Rostov region, destroyed four apartments on the top two floors, a spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry said.
“A woman has died,” the spokeswoman, Marina Abramchenko, told AFP.
More than 40 people have been evacuated to a nearby school, she added.
Russian investigators said they have opened a criminal case, adding the accident came as a result of a gas explosion.
Thirty-nine people died when a gas explosion destroyed a Russian apartment block in the Urals city of Magnitogorsk on New Year’s Eve.
Investigators have launched a probe into that blast, saying there was no reason to suspect foul play.
Local media have however said the accident might have been the result of a terror attack.
AFP
