The final death toll from a powerful explosion in a south Ukrainian apartment block has risen to 27, including three children, media reports said Friday.
The blast shattered Wednesday night a five-story building in the Black Sea resort of Yevpatoria on the Crimean peninsula, according to Ukraine's Channel 5 television.
The accident was likely caused by an explosion of oxygen or acetylene cylinders stored in the building's basement, said Volodymyr Ivanov, a spokesman for Crimea's branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry.
About 50 residents have been evacuated from the neighborhood following the blast, Ivanov said.
Rescuers were still combing through the rubble in search of survivors had rescued 21 people so far, but the chances of finding survivors or bodies were now slim, he added.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has declared Friday a national day of mourning, while Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko promised families of the dead compensation.
Gas blasts in old and dilapidated apartment buildings are not uncommon in Ukraine, particularly in winter when residents use more heating. Fifteen people were killed in a similar blast in October 2007 in Ukraine's central city of Dnipropetrovsk.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article