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Household gas explosion hits apartment building in Moscow region

One person killed and six injured

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. A household gas explosion that hit a five-story apartment building in the Moscow region’s town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo killed one person and left six injured, a spokesperson for the Russian Emergencies Ministry told TASS.

"The blast killed one and left three people injured," the spokesperson said.

Earlier reports said that the three people had suffered injuries in the explosion.

A section of the building collapsed following the blast. Five apartments have been completely destroyed and another four have been damaged. Rescue workers pulled six people from under the rubble.

An official from the regional branch of the Emergencies Ministry said that the blast had been caused by an equipment failure. He added that 200 people had been evacuated from the building.

A probe has been launched into the incident, Spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee’s regional branch Olga Vradiy told TASS, adding that investigators will look into all possible causes of the blast, including a gas leak, an equipment failure and careless handling of equipment.