As many as 40 people could still be trapped in the rubble of a Russian apartment block that partially collapsed in a gas explosion, killing at least seven people, news agencies reported.
The blast, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, damaged 48 apartments in a nine-storey building in Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the Urals some 1,700km east of Moscow, the emergencies ministry said.
President Vladimir Putin flew into Magnitogorsk this afternoon, visiting the injured in hospital and meeting with local authorities, state television showed.
Mr Putin looked on as rescue workers toiled in temperatures of -22C to locate people trapped under the debris.
Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev said at a meeting with Mr Putin there were "presumably between 36 and 40 people under the rubble" as this evening, agencies reported.
After reporting four casualties earlier in the day, Mr Zinichev said that another three bodies had been discovered.
"We have found another three bodies but we cannot take them out (from under the rubble)," agencies quoted him as saying.
"We are working carefully because there is a risk that the building will collapse."
Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova told state television that the chances of finding survivors were fading as the day wore on.
The blast tore through the building at around 6am (1am Irish time) when many residents were asleep, RIA news agency reported.
Today is a public holiday in Russia.
The high-rise was built in 1973 and was home to around 1,100 people. Residents were evacuated to a nearby school.
Volunteers offered money, clothing and essentials to the victims, and some said they were ready to provide temporary shelter to those in need.
Regional governor Boris Dubrovsky said authorities planned to buy apartments for people who had lost their homes.
Staff from the local Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), one of the country's largest steelmakers, took part in the rescue operation.
Billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, who controls the plant, called on city residents to help the victims.
"This is our common tragedy and pain," he said in a statement, adding that MMK would provide financial assistance to those in need.
There have been several similar incidents in Russia in recent years due to ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations regarding gas usage.
In 2015, at least five people were killed when a gas explosion damaged an apartment building in the southern city of Volgograd.
