SARATOV, July 27. /TASS/. Search and rescue operations after the household gas explosion and the subsequent collapse of a section of a multi-storey apartment building in Saratov have been finished, the Saratov Region governor, Roman Busargin, said.
"As of 7:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. GMT). Search and rescue operation are over. The tragedy claimed seven lives, including of a little child. Their bodies have been retrieved from under the debris. I extend my deepest condolences to their families," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to Busargin, three people who were reported missing have been found. "They have got in touch. They were not in when the blast occurred," he noted.
However, according to the Russian emergencies ministry, clear-up operations to remover the debris continue.
A gas explosion caused the collapse of a section of a 10-storey apartment building in Saratov on July 25. Seven people, including a child, died, sixteen more were injured. Rescuers do not rule out partial collapse of another part of the building. Residents were evacuated from the building. A criminal case was initiated under Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (rendering services that do not meet safety requirements).