At least six people were injured after separate explosions ripped through an apartment building and a mobile phone store in the republic of Dagestan, authorities said Tuesday.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said the blasts — one inside a 14-story apartment building in Makhachkala and another at a mobile phone shop several kilometers away — were caused by gas leaks.
Security footage published by the Telegram news channel Baza captured the moment a powerful explosion shattered windows in the apartment building, sending debris crashing into a parking lot below.
Rescuers evacuated 150 people, while investigators launched a preliminary probe into the incident.
Health officials in Dagestan said at least two people were hospitalized in that explosion, including a woman in critical condition.
The Makhachkala Mayor’s Office initially said the apartment building was listed as an illegal construction but later clarified that a court had approved its occupancy in 2021.
Less than an hour after the apartment blast, a second explosion struck a mobile phone shop located 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of the apartment building, injuring four adults, according to regional health authorities.
Emergency officials said fires that broke out after the explosions were extinguished within an hour.
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