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Death toll in South Russia household gas blast rises to 5, search operation over

12 people lived in apartments damaged in the gas blast, seven were rescued

© Valery Matytsyn/TASS

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Rescuers have pulled the fifth body from the rubble of a house in South Russia’s city of Shakhty, a spokesperson for the Russian Emergencies Ministry told TASS on Wednesday.

"Rescuers have found and retrieved the body of the fifth and last victim. The search operation is over," the source said.

A gas blast took place on January 15 on the ninth floor of a residential building in the city of Shakhty, Rostov Region. Four apartments were damaged as a result of the blast, on the ninth and eighth floors. There are 72 apartments in the building in total.

Twelve people lived in the apartments damaged in the gas blast. Seven people were rescued from under the rubble, including a child. A total of 140 people were evacuated from the building.

A criminal case on manslaughter charges has been opened over the incident.

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