MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) - Ten people died when an explosion and resulting fire swept through a crowded cafe in the town of Orsk, in the Urals region of Orenburg, Sunday night, a spokesman for the local emergencies service said.
"Following the explosion, an intense fire began, destroying the building completely. Following the blaze, firefighters pulled 10 people from beneath the ruins," Viktor Beltsov said.
A preliminary investigation has determined that the explosion and fire were deliberately set.
Initial reports spoke of an explosion at around 10:15 p.m. Moscow time (6:15 p.m. GMT), followed by a conflagration that took hold of the 180-square-meter (500-square-foot) Yantarnoe cafe within minutes, burning for an hour and completely consuming the building, located in the Severnii market.
