At least two people were killed and 15 injured in central Russia today by an explosion in a basement furniture shop that set fire to a five-storey apartment building, an Emergencies Ministry spokesman said.
Residents of the building in the town of Gus-Khrustalny were being evacuated, spokesman Viktor Beltsov said.
Russian news agencies said eight of the injured were rushed to hospital and others were treated by medics on the spot.
"About 150 people have been evacuated so far and the fire has reached the third floor," Beltsov said. "Severe frost, in which water freezes in pipes, is complicating the work of fire brigades."
Russia is experiencing its coldest winter in a generation. Temperatures in central Russia have plunged to minus 30 Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit), increasing the risk of fires and accidents as people light kitchen stoves or rig up makeshift electric heaters to keep warm.