10 dead in Russia building collapse

Governor instructs immediate commencement of debris clearing as soon as search and rescue operation concludes

MOSCOW:

Ten people were found killed as the search and rescue operations concluded in the Russian city of Nizhny Tagil following the partial collapse of a residential building, local authorities said on Saturday.

"At present, debris removal is underway. Earlier, the governor instructed the immediate commencement of debris clearing as soon as the search and rescue operation concluded," the regional information policy department said.

The tragedy occurred on Thursday when two entrances of a five-story gas-powered building in Nizhny Tagil, a city located in Russia's Sverdlovsk Oblast, caved in due to an explosion of a gas-air mixture.

Following the incident, a state of emergency has been declared in the Dzerzhinsky district of Nizhny Tagil. The investigative committee has launched a criminal case concerning the provision of services or work that did not meet safety requirements.