A gas leak caused a blast in a residential building in western Russia's Tula region on Tuesday, killing at least five people and injuring three others, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

The five-story building in the city of Efremov partially collapsed in the explosion and seven people have been rescued so far, the Ministry said in a statement.

Two points of temporary accommodation have been set up, and psychologists and rescuers are still working at the spot, Xinhua news agency reported. (KB/IANS)