Gas explosion in apartment block in Moscow's suburb leaves 2 dead, 2 injured

Two apartments in a nine-storied residential building in Moscow Region caught fire after what is assumed to be a gas explosion, leaving two people dead and two others injured, the Russian ministry of emergency situations reported on Friday.

Earlier in the day, residents of the building in the Moscow Region's Khimki reportedly heard a loud bang on the eighth floor, after which the floors collapsed.

"Four people were injured in the explosion in Khimki, two of them died at the scene," a spokesperson of the ministry told Sputnik.

One of the late victims was a three-year-old child, a 12-year-old teenager is among the injured, the ministry stated.

The fire has been extinguished and the rescue operation continues. Two children were rescued from the rubble, one of them shows no vital signs.

The investigations into causes of the accident are still ongoing. The head of the regional branch of the emergencies ministry and the vice governor of the region are on route to the scene in Khimki.

According to the preliminary data, the explosion was caused by explosion of a gas-air mixture, the ministry told Sputnik.

Over 35 apartments were cut off from gas, the ministry informed. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )