Gas blast kills 16 in northern Russia

MOSCOW - A suspected gas explosion tore through a shop in northern Russia on Monday, killing 16 people, officials said. "The explosion took place in a two-story brick building. We are trying to discover the reason," said Emergencies Ministry spokesman Viktor Beltsov.

He said the blast was in Ukhta, a town in the Komi region 1,500 km northeast of Moscow.

News agencies quoted local police as saying the damage was characteristic of a gas explosion.

"Judging by the kind of destruction caused, a gas canister exploded... Our specialists are working on it. There are no traces of explosive substances," a police source told Itar-Tass news agency.

Explosions caused by faulty appliances are fairly common in Russia. A gas blast in the city of Arkhangelsk last year leveled an apartment building, killing 58 people.

Any explosion in Russia rattles nerves stretched by attacks linked to Chechen rebels, who have killed hundreds with attacks on Moscow and other Russian cities.

- REUTERS