Several dead and injured under collapsed building in Vyborg

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At least three people died and several others were injured, when an old apartment building collapsed in the Russian city of Vyborg, near the Finnish border, on Sunday night.
     
Eight apartments were damaged when part of the four-storey building, built by Finns prior to World War II, came down around midnight.
      A man, a woman, and a 3-month-old baby were reported to have been killed, and several other people were injured and were taken to hospital.
      According to United Press International, some 15 people had been rescued after the collapse, while at least another three remained trapped. One of them was reported to be in contact with the crew by telephone.
      About 200 rescue workers were at the scene.
     
Apparently the cause was the dilapidated condition of the pre-World War II building, said emergency department spokesman Viktor Beltsov, adding that there was no explosion or fire.
      However, Beltsov contradicted the officials who had been quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the collapse occurred because residents carried out unauthorized renovations that affected load-bearing walls. * *


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Helsingin Sanomat