Moscow Apartment Explosion Kills At Least 3

Three people were killed after an explosion ripped through an apartment building in Moscow and sparked a fire, state media reported early Monday, citing police sources.

Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said first responders arrived at the blast scene in Moscow’s southwestern Yasenevo district on Sunday evening. It took fire crews around an hour to put out the flames, which caused part of the ninth floor of the building to collapse.

At least two bodies were found on a balcony, the ministry said, while six other people were being treated for injuries. Around 150 residents were temporarily moved to a nearby school.

An anonymous police source told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency that the death toll had climbed to three as of Monday morning. There was no official confirmation of the third death.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the cause of the fire was not yet known.

Law enforcement officials launched a criminal investigation into the explosion but did not say if charges had been brought against anyone.

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