Russian apartment collapse: Death toll rise to 37

Following an apartment collapse days ago, Russian news agencies are reporting that thirty-seven bodies have been found- a far cry from eighteen bodies recovered on Wednesday.

The bodies of 22 of the 37 dead had been identified, agencies cited the local branch of the emergencies ministries as saying

The blast in the early hours of December 31 damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, some 1,700 km east of Moscow.

The death toll has progressively risen in the past few days as rescuers battle blisteringly cold temperatures to recover people trapped under the rubble.

Gas explosions are relatively common in Russia because of ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations surrounding gas use.