[Published: Wednesday January 02 2019]
 Russian tower block collapse was attack, officials say
MOSCOW 2 Jan (ANA) - Three suspected terrorists have been killed in Russia overnight amid fears a deadly tower block collapse in the same city was the result of an attack.
Nineteen have been confirmed dead but dozens more bodies are thought to be under the rubble of the building in Magnitogorsk after a New Year's Eve explosion that was originally considered to have been caused by a gas leak.
There are now reports - denied by officials - that an explosive has been found in the ruins and that the apartment where the 'gas blast' was suspected to have had its epicentre had been rented by a man from ex-Soviet republic Tajikistan.
Overnight, a small Gazel 'minivan' exploded in a fireball at 1am local time (8pm GMT) in the centre of Magnitogorsk. Witnesses then heard repeated shooting with the dramatic scene caught on videos.
A report said that three suspected terrorists died in the Gazel and that one had escaped and was on the run in the industrial city.
A Magnitogrosk taxi driver was quoted saying he witnessed shooting by law enforcement at the minivan or minibus later seen erupting in a fireball. Grenades were then thrown he said, in comments cited on social media.
A Urals news website Znak.com reported that the explosion on December 31 at Karl Marx Street was now suspected to be a terrorist attack.
It quoted a source as saying: 'Three terrorists were killed at night on January 1 in a Gazel vehicle. They tried to shoot back. One of them ran away, police is searching for him.' (ANA)
FA/ANA/2 January 2018------
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Africa/US/China