At least three people were killed after an explosion caused by a gas leak ripped through a nine-story apartment block in the city of Balashikha near Moscow, local officials said on September 20. The explosion destroyed three levels of the building. At least two people remain under the debris. When rescuers tried to free them from under the debris on the third floor, a concrete slab fell from the fifth level and injured three firefighters. Gas explosions occur frequently in Russia due to aging pipes and infrastructure, as well as lax safety standards. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
