Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Suspected gas blast hurts 17 at Russian bailiff HQ

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-13 17:05

NAZRAN, Russia -- Officials say a suspected gas blast badly damaged a government building in Russia's violence-plagued Ingushetia province and injured at least 17 people.

A spokeswoman for the regional branch of Russia's Investigative Committee said one of the injured was in a critical condition.

Svetlana Gribakova said preliminary information pointed to a gas explosion and not terrorism at the bailiffs' headquarters in Ingushetia's main city, Nazran.

Marat Prokopenkov of the Emergency Situations Ministry's branch in southern Russia also said gas was suspected but that other causes could not be ruled out. Attacks on law enforcement officials are common in Ingushetia.