A wave of deadly gas blasts in Russian apartment buildings has made officials in the country nervous, leading them to issue a general warning about the phenomenon on Wednesday.
There have been 11 such incidents, with 10 deaths, in just the last six weeks, the Civil Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
Fires and gas explosions tend to become more common starting in the autumn, as temperatures fall and people seek to heat their homes. But this year, the number of fires and gas explosions rose by 30%, while the number of dead in such incidents rose by 20%.
The problem is that heaters can start slowly after months of no use, so people opt to turn on ovens or light ranges to speed up the heating process, which increases the risk of explosions.
Just such an incident struck in the city of Noginsk near Moscow three weeks ago, leaving seven dead and 22 injured.
