Five people were killed, 15 injured and 5 missing after a household gas explosion in a residential building in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan.

      Previously there were 3 people found dead. At 8:15 and 8:34 am (Moscow time) the rescuers found two more bodies.

      A total of 26 people have so far been rescued, according to an Emergency Ministry spokesman. Some of them were pulled out from under the rubble.

      It remains unclear how many people were at home at the time of the explosion. According to the official, 258 people lived in the block, including 90 in the crumbled section of the building. On the whole, 27 flats were damaged in different degrees, most of them were fully destroyed.

      Official have already promised all the sufferers will be given big money compensation. They will also be moved to new apartments in a newly built house as soon as possible. Till then, ten people have beengiven temporary accommodation in a local school.

      Russian Government has ordered that the Astrakhan communal services officials who were in charge of controlling the gas network be suspended from their duties until the end of the investigation.

      According to the Investigative Committee, the main cause of the tragedy is an explosion of natural gas. It might happen because of the renovation in one of the apartments, during which the gas pipes could be damaged. There is also a new version that the explosion could possibly be a suicide attempt by one of the tenants, who had earlier expressed an intention to take his life and made suicide attempts by opening gas burners.

      The explosion in the building took place at around 2pm local time (also Moscow time), February 27. Initially the three lower floors collapsed, followed by the entire section of the building. By this time, the rescue operation and investigation is still taking place. 

 Sources: Lenta.ru Russia Today YouTube Image: russia-on.ru

      Related News: House Explosion in Astrakhan (27.02.2012)