YAROSLAVL, Russia -- At least seven people, including two children, have been killed by a gas explosion that ripped through a residential building in the central Russian city of Yaroslavl early on February 16.
Eight other people were hospitalized.
Authorities in Yaroslavl announced two days of mourning.
Officials said a criminal inquiry has been opened to investigate whether safety regulations had been breached.
Gas explosions are common in Russia. In December, a gas blast ripped through an apartment block in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, killing several people.