Death toll rises to 27 in Russian apartment block collapse

Reuters: Twenty-seven dead bodies have been recovered from the debris of an apartment block in Russia that partially collapsed in an apparent explosion while the fate of 14 people is still unknown, the governor of Chelyabinsk region said in a statement on Wednesday (January 2). Emergency workers have begun dismantling parts of the building to stop a further collapse of the structure which poses a threat to rescuers. The blast initially thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a 10-story building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk in the early hours on Monday (December 31), 1,700 km (1,050 miles) east of Moscow. A baby boy was found alive on Tuesday (January 1) after 35 hours spent in freezing cold in the rubble, in what emergency officials described as a miracle. The reason behind the collapse of the apartment block is still being investigated, the Investigative Committee said on its website. It said no trace of explosives materials had been found so far on the site. Initial reports put a possible gas leak behind the collapse.