10 die in Orsk cafe blast

May 14,2007 00:00 by UPI

MOSCOW - An explosion and fire in a crowded cafe in Orsk on the Russia-Kazakhstan border left 10 people dead Sunday night.

A preliminary investigation showed the blast was deliberately set, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

"Following the explosion, an intense fire began, destroying the building completely," said Viktor Beltsov, a spokesman for the local emergencies service office. "Following the blaze, firefighters pulled 10 people from beneath the ruins."

The blast occurred in the 500-square-foot Yantarnoe Cafe in the Severnii market about 10:15 p.m. Moscow time and the hour-long fire that ensued consumed the building.

The town of Orsk is located in the Urals region of Orenburg about 800 miles southeast of Moscow.