Section of five-floor block collapsed in Moscow

Police to investigate the explosion case
An explosion sounded at a block of flats at 32, Academician Korolev street in the Russian capital of Moscow at 11:10 p.m. Tuesday. One section of a five-floor block collapsed. Main version of the explosion causes by this moment is gas leakage somewhere at the third floor of the block.

Interfax informs, President Vladimir Putin was informed of the accident immediately; Russia’s EMERCOM Minister Sergey Shoigu came to the site right after presidential orders. People evacuated from the collapsed building were accommodated in three Moscow hotels. In Shoigu’s words, the block is very likely to be destroyed completely as it can’t be reconstructed. Final conclusion about causes of the explosion are to be made by experts after clearing of the accident site.

According to RIA Novosti, 48 people lived in the apartments destroyed by the explosion. It was estimated, 12 people were away at the explosion moment. According to the recent information, six people were killed by the explosion, eight were wounded. According to provisional estimates, ten apartments were destroyed. However, up to 12-15 people can be still under the debris. The gas leakage version was also supported by an official of the Federal Security Service department in Moscow. He said, the explosion very likely occurred because of gas leakage, that was not a terrorist attack. Moscow police was charged with investigation of the accident.

However, NTVRU.com informs that tenants of the block doubt the official version of the explosion. They say, no gas smell could be felt neither before, nor after explosion. Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/08/21/45982.html