A gas explosion at a residential building in central Moscow on Thursday injured five people, including an employee from the U.S. Embassy.
Two people were hospitalized as a result of the blast and three others were treated as outpatients, the Health Ministry said in a statement posted on their website.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a statement confirming reports that one of their employees had been injured in the explosion.
The embassy worker received burns on up to 80 percent of her body, Itar-Tass reported, citing law enforcement authorities.
Investigators have opened a criminal case into the explosion on charges of violating construction safety regulations, which is punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years.