Kiev/Moscow - Rescue workers in Ukraine recovered three more bodies by Friday morning from the rubble of a block of flats that collapsed in an explosion on Christmas Eve, bringing the total number of dead in the accident to 27, Interfax news agency reported.

Citing the Ministry for Emergency Situations, Interfax reported Friday that no survivors were found during the night when temperatures hovered around zero.

Two sections of the five-storey Soviet-era prefabricated building collapsed Wednesday evening, destroying some 30 flats.

Most of the dead were women and children, and one family of five was among the victims.

Twenty-one survivors, some with serious injuries, have so far been found.

It was not clear how many residents of the building were still missing as Ukraine marked an official day of mourning for the victims on Friday.

Preliminary investigations have laid the blame for the explosion on gas canisters illegally stored in the basement of the block of flats. (dpa)