Military training center partially collapses in Siberia, 18 dead

The roof and walls of a military training center have partially collapsed in the Russian city of Omsk, killing at least eighteen people.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that 18 people have died after the roof of the barracks of the 242nd Training Centre of the Airborne Forces in the village of Svetliy on the outskirts of Omsk collapsed on Sunday evening.

Thirty-seven soldiers have been rescued from the rubble. At least nineteen remain in hospital. Five people remain missing.

A special Russian Ministry of Defense commission is in Omsk to investigate the incident.

The partial caving-in of the roof occurred with no signs of an explosion or fire, a source within the police said, as quoted by TASS.

According to preliminary data, violations in construction procedure during repairs have been named as one of the possible causes of the collapse, RIA Novosti reported, citing the rescue services.

Authorities have deployed more than 150 soldiers to take part in aid and rescue operations, along with 21 units of heavy machinery. Canine units are also aiding the rescue effort. Civilian medical personnel from Moscow arrived to the scene to help the local military medics deal with the tragedy.

Konashenkov said that the Ministry deployed a “special medical detachment” with five teams of physicians and specialized equipment to assist the victims.

In the wake of the incident, Russia’s defense minister ordered the inspection of all building facilities belonging to the ministry in Omsk.