Gas blast rocks Ukraine building

There are fears the toll may rise

At least 11 people have died in an explosion that tore through a block of flats in Dnipropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine, officials say.

Twenty-three people were injured and others may still be buried in the rubble, the emergency ministry says.

It says a section of the building was destroyed in the blast, which happened at about 1100 local time (0800 GMT).

The local gas company says that it was triggered by a sudden and still unexplained surge in gas pressure.

Panicking residents were seen being evacuated from the parts of the building that remained standing.

The ministry's website said a total of 70 people had been rescued.

An adjacent apartment block and two smaller individual houses were also damaged by the blast, officials say.

Correspondents say that natural gas explosions resulting from leaks in poorly maintained apartment buildings are common in the countries of the former Soviet Union.