Last updated (GMT/UTC): 13.01.2009 13:44
NAZRAN, Russia -- At least seven people were killed and several dozen others injured in an explosion at a government building in Nazran, the capital of the Russian republic of Ingushetia, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reported.
Local government sources say a gas leak was the likely reason for the blast, but other causes -- including terrorism -- are also being considered by officials.
The explosion destroyed the three-storey building that was the local headquarters of the Federal Court Marshals' Service.
Rescue workers have pulled about 30 people from the rubble, but dozens are thought to still be trapped beneath the collapsed building.
Ingushetia is a volatile region that borders war-torn Chechnya.
Rebels in Ingushetia target police, military personnel, and government officials on an almost daily basis.