Many of the residents in the block were still sleeping in the apartments in the city of Magnitogorsk in the south of the country then it was likely a gas explosion, occurred at 06-time on Monday morning local time. A large party of the ten storeys high, the apartment building came tumbling down.
Four people are so far found dead while five others are sent to hospital with injuries. The number of missing varies between 35 and 38 which is either missed or not accounted for.
It was cold in the city on Monday, with temperatures down to 17 degrees, and major rescue teams are working frantically to search for survivors or dead. According to local media, there are heard the cries for help from ruinhaugen. On the night of Tuesday, it is expected temperatures down to 24 degrees below zero.
President Vladimir Putin traveled Monday afternoon to Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Urals with about 400.000 inhabitants, to follow the rescue at close quarters.
According to the state news agency Ria are 48 apartments damaged by the explosion. It is, according to the local authorities registered a total of 110 residents at the address.
RESTING: 79 residents are missing after parts of a high-rise building came tumbling down in the city of Magnitogorsk. Photo: Reuters / NTB Scanpix Show more
