Residents of Volgograd high-rise building associate explosion with storage of ammunition and fuel

Members of one of the families who lived in the block of flats in Volgograd, where the explosion occurred, brought home and stored ammunition, and cylinders with gas and gasoline, but law enforcement bodies did not respond on neighbours reports, locals say.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 20 an explosion occurred in a residential building in Volgograd, which destroyed a flight of the building from the second up to the ninth levels. It was reported about 12 wounded and five dead tenants; however, only one death has been officially confirmed so far.

The tenants assert that flat No. 64, where, according to investigators, the explosion occurred, was occupied by three persons – a man-pensioner, his wife and their grandson. According to their stories, men often brought ammunition into the flat; their neighbours saw it and reported to law enforcers, the edition named "Blocknote-Volgograd" reports with reference to tenants.

According to neighbours, the same flat stored gas cylinders and gasoline, the "Channel One" reports referring to tenants.

There are two main versions of the explosion; however, the storage of ammunition is not among them, said a source from the emergency services.

"Preliminarily, the explosion could be caused by non-observance of rules and regulations of handling gas equipment during repairs. A domestic version of natural gas explosion is also considered," the "Interfax" quotes today the above source as saying.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.