Death toll rises to 19 in apartment building collapse in Russia

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The death toll in a collapsed apartment building in Magnitogorsk, Russia, rose to 19 Wednesday, as rescuers continued to search through the rubble in subzero temperatures.

The city in the Urals region observed a day of mourning for the victims of the New Year's Eve disaster. Officials said a gas leak sparked the early morning explosion that caused the seven-story 1970s-era building to partially collapse. An estimated 120 people lived in the 48 destroyed units.

More than 20 people were still missing, including five children.

Rescuers pulled an 11-month-old boy out of the wreckage Tuesday. He was in serious condition at a Moscow hospital. The baby's mother was also rescued.

In a separate incident, three people died when a minibus caught fire Tuesday near the apartment building. Regional police blame "faulty gas equipment" for that explosion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the blast site Monday.

The combination of Soviet-era buildings, poor safety regulations and faulty natural gas equipment has been blamed for other building explosions in Russia in recent years.