Building gas blast kills 21

AN apparent natural gas explosion destroyed part of a nine-storey apartment building in the northern Russian city of Arkhangelsk early yesterday as residents slept, killing at least 21 people. About 20 people remained missing hours after the blast.

Police were searching for two men believed to be involved in the explosion, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Citing a police source, ITAR-Tass said the men, thought to be homeless, were carrying metal pipes and instruments, and may have removed brass fittings from gas valves to sell them.

Authorities refused to rule out terrorism, with heightened tension in Russia after a series of terrorist attacks blamed on Chechen rebels. In autumn 1999, explosions blamed on rebels ripped through apartment buildings in Moscow and two other cities, killing some 300 people.