Major Gas Explosion Rocks High-Rise Apartment Building in Stavropol

A powerful explosion occurred on the 18th floor of an apartment building on Tukhachevsky Street in the city of Stavropol, Southern Russia. A fire broke out as a result of the explosion. At least one woman was injured.

The explosion demolished walls and floor slabs on the affected floor. Debris fell onto dozens of cars parked near the building. Several apartments on the floor, where the explosion occurred, as well as on the floors below, suffered severe damage.

“The fire has been contained. According to preliminary information, there is one injured person who is receiving medical assistance. As soon as possible, specialists will assess the condition of the building to plan restoration work,” the Governor of the Stavropol region, Vladimir Vladimirov, wrote on his Telegram channel.

Preliminary reports suggest the cause was a household gas leak. All of Stavropol’s emergency services arrived at the scene.

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Stavropol Krai (Russian: Ставропо́льский край, romanized: Stavropolʹskiy kray, IPA: [stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj]), also known as Stavropolye (Russian: Ставропо́лье, romanized: Stavropolye, IPA: [stəvrɐˈpolʲɪ̯ə]), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia, and is administratively part of the North Caucasian Federal District. Stavropol Krai has a population of 2,907,593, according to the 2021 Census. Stavropol is the largest city and the capital of Stavropol Krai, and Pyatigorsk is the administrative center of the North Caucasian Federal District. Stavropol Krai is bordered by Krasnodar Krai to the west, Rostov Oblast to the north-west, Kalmykia to the north, Dagestan to the east, and Chechnya, North Ossetia–Alania, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia to the south. It is one of the most multi-ethnic federal subjects in Russia, with thirty-three ethnic groups with more than 2,000 persons each combining a total population of 2,907,593. The western area of Stavropol Krai is considered part of the Kuban region, the traditional home of the Kuban Cossacks, with most of the krai's population living in the drainage basin of the Kuban River.