8 people injured, 4 more might be under debris after household gas explosion in Russia's Volgograd

Representative of the regional branch of emergencies ministry Dmitry Ulanov neither confirmed nor disproved this information. "I cannot give any certain figure about people under the debris - whether dead or injured," he said. "The only thing I can say is under the debris may be people." The explosion took place on Sunday at the seventh floor of a nine-storey residential building. According to preliminary information, two blasts were heard. The building's outer wall from the second to the ninth floor collapsed after the blast. The explosion was followed by fire on an area of 30 square meters. Eight people, including two children were taken to hospital. According to preliminary data, the blast was caused by either a gas leak or violation of safety rule while operating gas equipment in repair works. A criminal case was opened.