At least five children killed in stairs collapse in Russia's Urals - World New

MOSCOW, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least five children were killed in a staircase collapse at a rural school in the Russian Urals, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Wednesday.

The school is in the town of Belyayevka in the Orenburg region. A total of 11 people have so far been rescued from under the rubble, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Rescue workers said more schoolchildren might be trapped under the debris.

According to preliminary information, a supporting wall gave way, causing three flights of stairs between the third and the second floors of the three-storey school building to collapse.

The collapse was presumably caused by safety violations during renovation work.