Baby found alive after Russia explosion
Eleven-month-old boy survived suspected gas explosion that claimed at least seven lives
An 11-month-old baby boy has been pulled from the rubble of an apartment block in Russia, which collapsed on Monday following a suspected gas explosion.
The child, named Ivan, survived overnight beneath the collapsed building in the city of Magnitogorsk, about 1,050 miles from Moscow, where temperatures fell below -26C.
Russian health officials say the boy is in “extremely serious” condition, with “frostbite on his limbs, a head injury and multiple leg fractures”, the BBC reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Rescuers heard crying. The baby was saved by being in a cradle and warmly wrapped up,” local governor, Boris Dubrovsky, said.
The boy’s mother also survived the explosion, which has claimed at least seven lives. Another 37 people remain unaccounted for, while only six survivors have been found since the explosion, including a 13-year-old boy, The Guardian says.
A criminal investigation into the cause of the blast has reportedly been opened.
Rescue efforts have been suspended until the remains of the building have been secured, which engineers on-site say could take up to 24 hours to complete before the search for survivors can begin again.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“It’s impossible to continue working in such conditions," emergencies ministry chief Yevgeny Zinichev said, adding there is a “real threat of part of the building collapsing”.
The boy has been flown to Moscow for medical treatment.
-
6 homes with incredible balconiesFeature Featuring a graceful terrace above the trees in Utah and a posh wraparound in New York City
-
Did Alex Pretti’s killing open a GOP rift on guns?Talking Points Second Amendment groups push back on the White House narrative
-
The 8 best hospital dramas of all timethe week recommends From wartime period pieces to of-the-moment procedurals, audiences never tire of watching doctors and nurses do their lifesaving thing
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal