Eight people were killed on an island in Russia’s Far East
© Limarenko Brief / Telegram
At least eight people died after a gas explosion tore through a five-story apartment block on Sakhalin Island in Russia on Saturday, the regional governor, Valery Limarenko, has said.
The incident took place in the small town of Tymovskoye. Videos from the scene show that several apartments were entirely destroyed by the blast.
Limarenko wrote on his Telegram channel that three children are among the victims. He added that the apartment complex had 33 residents, three of whom are missing, as rescuers continue to look for survivors.
Nine people were injured, according to TASS news agency.
The regional emergency authorities said earlier that six people are thought to be trapped under the rubble.
TASS cited emergency services as saying that the building does not have a central gas heating system, and a faulty gas tank is believed to be the cause of the explosion. A criminal investigation has been launched.
