Siberian Cafe Blast Kills 18
An explosion apparently caused by a natural gas leak tore through a cafe in Russia’s Siberia region Thursday, killing 18 people and injuring 18, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
Investigators said they found four exploded gas canisters at the site in Chita, in Russia’s southeast near China and Mongolia.
“There will be an investigation, but the preliminary cause is domestic gas,” Valery Shakhov, head of the local fire rescue service, told NTV television.
Dozens of rescuers combed through the rubble for survivors. Witnesses said windows were shattered in nearby buildings. A ministry spokesman said the cafe building was destroyed.
Gas explosions are common in Russia.
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