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Six dead in Ukraine gas blast

Other News Materials 13 October 2007 18:15 (UTC +04:00)

( AFP ) - At least six people died Saturday when a suspected gas blast partly destroyed an apartment building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk, rescuers on the ground told AFP.

"Six bodies have been found in the rubble, according to preliminary information," Olexander Dmyterko, a spokesman for the Emergency Situations Ministry, told AFP.

"A section in the middle of the building has collapsed completely," he said.

Early reports described the building as nine storeys, but Dmyterko said it was 10.

Ukraine's Kanal 5 television reported that there were fears of more than 20 dead.

At least 15 people and three children were injured in the incident, Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying.

Emergency services could be seen evacuating panicked residents from the remaining part of the building.

The blast at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) collapsed part of the residential block and broke windows of neighbouring buildings.

Interfax news agency quoted the Emergency Situations Ministry saying that a natural gas explosion was to blame.

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