At least eight people have been killed after a powerful gas explosion in an apartment block in the Russian city of Novosibirsk, Russian Civil Defence Minister Alexander Kurenkov said on Thursday.
Up to eight further residents could still be lying under the rubble of the partially collapsed five-storey building. Kurenkov said the number of dead could still rise.
Temperatures in the Siberian city were around minus 20 degrees Celsius.
About 60 flats are said to have been destroyed. Investigators have opened a case for the violation of safety regulations.
According to the authorities, nine people were injured, including two children.
The incident comes just days after a similar deadly blast.
Eight people were killed in a gas explosion in a five-storey apartment building in the town of Yefremov in the Tula region south of Moscow on Tuesday. As in Novosibirsk, the building partially collapsed.
Serious gas explosions due to violations of basic safety regulations are frequent occurrences in Russia.
Residents often use their gas cookers to supplement inadequate central heating systems. This is more affordable, but forbidden and dangerous because the flame can go out, resulting in a build-up of gas which explodes in the morning when the light is switched on.
Gas leaks in dilapidated pipes or inadequate maintenance of the infrastructure are also often considered the cause of accidents.
