Seven people were injured Sunday when a gas explosion ripped through a five-storey apartment building in the west Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russian media cited the emergencies ministry saying.
A child was among those being treated in hospital for injuries and burns in the wake of the blast, which occurred at 12:15 pm (0515 GMT), causing two floors of the building to collapse, the ministry told Moscow's Echo radio.
Two people were still trapped in rubble at the site of the explosion, where emergency rescue teams were also battling a fire sparked by the blast, the emergencies ministry told Interfax.
The ministry did not exclude the possibility that the number of reported casualties would rise, the news agency said.
Preliminary investigation pointed to a gas leak on the fourth floor of the apartment building as the cause of the blast -- MOSCOW (AFP)
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