Explosion in Nizhnevartovsk building kills six, injures four

An explosion occurred in a five-story building in Nizhnevartovsk, in western Siberia, reports TASS, citing local emergency services.

The explosion happened in one of the building’s apartments, causing the floor between the second and third stories to collapse, and damaging 15 apartments, reports Interfax.

According to early reports, a gas cylinder exploded inside the building. The building itself is not hooked up to gas service. 

Rescue crews evacuated 52 people from the building. Three were trapped under the rubble after the collapse. The latest reports say the explosion killed six people, and that another four were hospitalized.

Media outlets and the city administration say the explosion seems to have been caused by the improper use of a gas cylinder. According to outlet Poligon Media, since the beginning of the year household gas explosions have killed 34 people in Russian and injured another 84.

Follow Meduza in English on Twitter to stay up to date.