Building collapse in south Russia

Two people are known to be trapped and seven more are unaccounted for after a residential building collapsed in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan earlier on Wednesday, emergencies officials said.

Search attempts throughout the night for survivors after a residential building collapsed in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan have revealed only one cat, emergencies officials said on Thursday.

Four people, including one child, were injured in the collapse and the whereabouts of five other residents have yet to be determined. On Wednesday, emergencies officials were still searching for seven people who were unaccounted for.

Twenty-six flats were buried under rubble on Wednesday when part of the five-story building collapsed, the Investigation Committee said on its website yesterday.

The collapse occurred at about 10:25 a.m. (06:25 GMT). The building belonged to a local factory and was used to house workers and their families.

Regional emergencies officials cited the poor condition of the building, constructed in the 1970s, as a possible cause of the collapse. Investigators are also considering negligence during reconstruction work.