MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. The death toll from a gas explosion in a multi-apartment building in the Urals city of Nizhny Tagil and its subsequent partial collapse has risen to eight, the press service of the Russian emergencies ministry told TASS.

"Fifteen people, including seven children, have been rescued from under the rubble. By now, rescuers have retrieved eight bodies," it said.

According to the ministry, some 1,000 toms of rubble have been removed from the site.

"Search and rescue operations involving specialists with dogs have continuing for more than a day," it added.