Flat in Moskou opgeblazen

[lennart]

Blast rips through Moscow flats

An explosion has hit a block of flats in southern Moscow, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble, local emergency officials say.
The blast, thought to have originated in a flat on the third floor, tore through eight apartments in the early hours of the morning.

Rescuers and at least 10 ambulances are said to be at the 12-storey building on Chertanovskaya Street.

Children are thought to be among those trapped, local media reports say.

Emergency workers are reportedly evacuating residents from the building and searching for anyone in the rubble.

News of the blast came at about 0400 local time (0100 GMT), an emergencies ministry official told Itar-Tass news agency.

It is not known what may have caused the explosion.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3540077.stm

[Zwarte Schaap]

Gas blast injures Muscovites


Sunday 07 March 2004, 8:42 Makka Time, 5:42 GMT


The explosion destroyed one apartment but killed nobody

A powerful blast, probably caused by a gas leak, has devastated an apartment building in Moscow injuring eight people. The injured were rushed to hospital after the blast early on Sunday – though some residents refused to leave what was left of their property.

The explosion in a high-rise apartment building in the south of the city was probably caused by gas despite initial police fears it might have been a bomb. One police official said "first testimonies and the nature of the damage" pointed to a gas explosion.

Official confirmation

The Moscow regional office of the FSB security agency also said the blast had been caused by a gas explosion. FSB spokesman Viktor Zakharov said: "Right now, we are trying to establish whether it came from a gas pipe or a cylinder."

The blast occurred around 04:00 (01:00 GMT) and destroyed at least one apartment completely. Rescuers evacuated the rest of the building and police sealed off the surroundings.

Security had been stepped up across Russia amid fears of attacks in the run-up to the 14 March presidential poll, in which President Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win re-election to a second term.


Bron: www.aljazeera.net