At least five people have died after a gas explosion ripped through an apartment block and set it ablaze in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, Interfax news agency says, citing local authorities.
The Russian Investigative Committee, which reports directly to President Vladimir Putin, has said around 150 people lived in the affected section of the nine-storey building.
A local Emergency Ministry official was quoted as saying that 10 to 12 people could be trapped beneath the debris after Sunday's blast.
Local TV showed footage of firefighters trying to put out the fire, and of the building's heavily damaged facade.
Gas blasts are relatively common in Russia, where Soviet-era infrastructure is ageing and safety requirements are often ignored.
