Russia: 5 Injured in Apartment Building Gas Explosion

An explosion rocked an apartment building in the Russian city of Naberezhnye Chelny on Monday, leaving five people injured.

Several apartments have been destroyed by the massive blast that shook a five-floor residential building.

A "mixture of air and gas" exploded, ripping through two floors of the building, according to a press official with the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

"Several apartments on two floors were destroyed...The exact number of casualties is still being established," the state news agency TASS quoted a source as saying.

"Previously, there was a gas leak in the house. The epicenter of the explosion is being established," the source added.

Naberezhnye Chelny is an industrial city about 1,000 km (600 miles) directly east of Moscow.

Notably, 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, outside of the capital.