A powerful explosion, almost certainly caused by a gas leak, rocked a nine-storey dormitory housing Vietnamese citizens in Moscow yesterday, injuring at least 20 people, police and news agencies said.

The blast, which occurred at 10:40 p.m. (1840 GMT), shattered windows, shook nearby apartment blocks and caused a brief panic among local residents.

"It was a powerful explosion, but it's not an act of terror. It was gas," said a Moscow police spokesman. He said at least three children were among the 20 injured.

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