Russian media reported a large explosion occurred at 14:20 on 17/2 at the military police building within a military base in Sertolovo, Leningrad province, north of St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. The blast caused part of the military police building to collapse.

St. Petersburg's 78 channel, citing a source, reported that one person was crushed to death by a wall. Rescue teams are working to recover the bodies of two other individuals. The channel also published photos of the military police headquarters showing its collapsed roof after the explosion.

Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of Leningrad province, confirmed the incident, though he did not specify the number of casualties. Governor Drozdenko stated on social media that he had instructed security officials to assist the military in clearing debris and rescuing the injured. Officials are currently investigating the cause of the explosion.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced it has launched an investigation into potential violations of fire safety regulations. The agency added that initial information indicates there were casualties in the incident.

By Nhu Tam (Based on reports from AFP and Reuters)