Gas Blast Rocks Apartment Building In Russian City Of Naberezhnye Chelny, Injuring Four

The building in Naberezhnye Chelny that was damaged by the explosion

Russian authorities say four people were injured after a gas explosion destroyed six apartments in a five-floor residential building in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations’ branch in the Republic of Tatarstan, about 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow, said that 32 people were evacuated.

Video footage showed that the roof and part of two upper floors had collapsed. The rubble damaged neighboring buildings and vehicles parked nearby.

The Investigative Committee has opened a case into the incident.

Naberezhnye Chelny is Tatarstan’s second-largest city.

Gas explosions occur with some frequency in Russia due to aging pipelines and infrastructure, as well as lax safety standards.

In September, seven people were killed when an explosion destroyed three floors in a nine-story residential building in Noginsk, just outside of the capital.