Salem(TN): Five people, including three women, were killed after three buildings collapsed following a cooking gas cylinder explosion in a house in Karungalpatti in the city early on Tuesday.
A total of 12 people, including a five-year-old girl, caught in the debris were rescued and admitted to the Government Hospital here, with the condition of one person said to be critical, police said.
District Collector Karmegham and top police officials rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operations by Fire and Rescue Personnel, members from National Disaster Response Force and the police department.
A search is on to locate missing persons trapped under the debris.
Investigation is on, they said.