MOSCOW, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and three others injured after a residential building partially collapsed Thursday in Russia's west-central republic of Udmurtia, the regional department of the Russian Health Ministry said in a statement.
The nine-story apartment building came down in the republic's capital city of Izhevsk at around 4:00 p.m. local time (GMT 1200), leaving several people trapped under the debris, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
The Russian Investigative Committee said that a natural gas blast is likely behind the building collapse.
Alexander Brechalov, head of Udmurtia republic, told local reporters at the site that a child was among the killed. According to local media, lives of the injured are out of danger.
More than 400 rescuers and about 100 units of equipment are working at the site to release those who could still be trapped.
