Russian news agencies report dozens of residents of the five-story military apartment block may still be buried under heaps of rubble. Rescue teams on the scene say they expect casualty figures to rise and that most of the victims are women and children. Russian news agencies also report hundreds of gunmen crossed into Dagestan early Sunday, from neighboring Chechnya, and occupied several villages in the Novolaksky district. The explosion in Buinaksk took place only 50 kilometers away from the Karamakhi area where Russian troops continue to fight Islamic fundamentalists for control over several villages. Islamic fundamentalist leaders have recently threatened to carry out terrorist acts in Russia, as part of their effort to make Dagestan an independent Islamic state.
News agencies report rescue teams are working, non- stop, to pull people from the rubble.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry has flown additional rescue workers and equipment to the scene. Buinaksk is Dagestan's second-largest city and has been named as a potential target for attack by Islamic militants. The Interfax news agency reports that, several hours before the blast, a rebel leader known as Commander Khattab threatened attacks by militants would continue. Meanwhile, federal forces continued their battle against the rebels, early Sunday, heavily bombing two villages in the Karamakhi region, controlled by militants.