Explosion destroys supermarket building in southern Russia

MOSCOW – A gas explosion destroyed a supermarket building in Vladikavkaz, a city in southern Russia, on Friday morning, local officials said.

Russian news agencies reported that no one was appeared to be wounded in the blast. A man who was inside the building at the time of the explosion was rescued from under the rubble and didn’t sustain any injuries, the state Tass news agency reported.

According to Tass, the explosion occurred early in the morning in a three-story building housing a supermarket, as well as several shops and offices. Media reports said a gas leak was the likely cause. The blast completely destroyed the building and shattered windows in several residential buildings close by.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a preliminary inquiry into the incident.