London Gas Blast Kills 8

An explosion, apparently caused by leaking gas, blew apart a luxury apartment building in the southwestern London suburb of Putney, burying the residents in tons of rubble. Eight people were reported killed and seven were found alive in the wreckage. The blast occurred about 20 minutes after a resident called the Gas Board to report a leak. A spokesman said a safety inspector had just reached the building when it exploded. The resulting fire burned for two hours before being extinguished.