Ukrainian gambling hall blast kills nine

Nine people were killed in an explosion at a gambling hall in eastern Ukraine early today, government officials said.

Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman Ihor Krol said a further 11 people were wounded in the blast in Dnipropetrovsk.

Investigators are trying to establish what caused the explosion. Mr Krol said nothing had yet been ruled out, raising the possibility that it was a bomb.

Dozens of firefighters had extinguished an ensuing fire, he said.