BRATISLAVA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 40 others injured in a gas explosion on Friday at a 12-story apartment in the eastern Slovak town of Presov, officials said.
"We have five confirmed casualties so far but the death toll is likely to rise judging from we know from eye witness," said Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini at the site of the accident.
According to firefighters, the blast, occured shortly after noon, was followed by a fire that ripped through the top four or five floors of the high-rise building, which was in danger of collapsing.
It was not clear how many people had been inside, but firefighters said all people they could find were evacuated to nearby schools.
None of the injured was in life-threatening condition, said Health Minister Andrea Kalavska.
Mayor Andrea Turcanova said that the accident in the third-largest town of Slovakia has been the biggest tragedy in half a century.
