4 dead, dozens missing after gas explosion hits Russia high-rise
Moscow, Dec 31: Four people were killed and nearly 70 unaccounted for after a gas explosion tore through a residential building in Russia on Monday, leaving hundreds without a home in freezing temperatures on New Year's Eve.
A large section of the building collapsed after a gas explosion around 6 am local time at the high-rise in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, nearly 1,700 kilometres east of Moscow in the Ural mountains.
Four people were confirmed dead and another four, including two children, were hospitalised, officials said, citing the latest information.
Sixteen people including seven children have been evacuated.
The whereabouts of 28 people have been established but the fate of nearly 70 was unclear. National television said some 50 people could be trapped under the rubble.
National television broadcast footage of rescue workers combing through mangled heaps of concrete and metal in temperatures of minus 18 Celsius.
Temperatures in Magnitogorsk were expected to plunge to minus 23 Celsius on New Year's night, the biggest holiday of the year in Russia.
Officials warned that two more sections of the Soviet-era high-rise on Karl Marx Street were in danger of collapsing.
Local resident Anna Koroleva told Echo of Moscow radio that the explosion shattered windows of nearby buildings.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had been "immediately notified of the tragedy in Magnitogorsk".
Located in the mineral-rich southern Ural region, Magnitogorsk, with a population of more than 400,000 people, is home to one of the country's largest steel producers.
The high-rise was built in 1973 and was home to around 1,100 people. Residents were evacuated to a nearby school.
Volunteers offered money, clothing and essentials to the victims, and some said they were ready to provide temporary shelter to those in need.
Regional governor Boris Dubrovsky said authorities planned to buy apartments for people who had lost their homes.
Staff from the local Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), one of the country's largest steelmakers, took part in the rescue operation.
Billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, who controls the plant, called on city residents to help the victims.
"This is our common tragedy and pain," he said in a statement, adding that MMK would provide financial assistance to those in need.
Investigators opened a criminal probe into the accident, with the FSB security service confirming the blast had been the result of a gas explosion.
Such deadly gas explosions are relatively common in Russia where much of the infrastructure dates back to the Soviet era and safety requirements are often ignored.
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Kharge Urges union minister to fast track key proposals for Central University of Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday demanded the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to expedite the approval of key proposals related to Central University of Karnataka, Kalaburagi, which are currently pending before the Centre.
In a letter to the Minister, he noted that the Central University of Karnataka serves as an hub of education for students not only from Kalaburagi and the seven districts of the Kalyana Karnataka region but those from entire Karnataka and several areas of neighbouring states.
Kharge who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said that the University plays a vital role in addressing educational disparities and fostering opportunities for growth.
Highlighting that the development and growth of such institutions require the Central Government's sustained financial and institutional support, Kharge stated that sanction of new postgraduate departments, teaching positions and HEFA funding proposal that are critical to the progress of the University and the region await the approval from the Government of India.
In the letter, Kharge stated that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended establishing various postgraduate departments, including Statistics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Plant and Animal Sciences, Genetics and Genomics, Library and Information Science, and a BA/LLB program. The matter is currently under consideration.
"To operationalize the proposed departments, the sanction of 55 teaching positions is essential. This proposal is also in the advanced stages of process and awaiting approval," he said.
Kharge also mentioned that the University has submitted a proposal under the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) for constructing hostels for boys and girls, along with other essential infrastructure. This matter is also under consideration.
"Given the importance of these initiatives for the development of the Kalyana Karnataka region and their significant impact on students from underprivileged and underdeveloped areas, I kindly request your urgent intervention in the matter. I urge you to instruct the concerned officials to follow-up and expedite the approval of said proposals on a priority basis," he stated.
