Kiev/Moscow - A gas main explosion in a Ukrainian apartment building killed at least nine people and left dozens buried, news reports said Thursday.

The explosion took place Wednesday evening in a Soviet-era apartment building in Evpatoria, on the Black Sea shore of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

As many as 80 people were potentially buried under the rubble, a Ministry for Emergency Situations spokesman told the Interfax news agency. Twenty survivors had been pulled to safety including two children, according to the report.

Rescuers said they could still hear at least three residents calling for help from under the rubble.

Gas explosions in residential buildings are a regular occurrence in Ukraine during winter months, as apartment owners frequently tap gas lines or light gas stoves inside their residences to try and keep warm. (dpa)