A deadly explosion hit a Russian military police facility in Sertolovo, near St Petersburg, early Tuesday. The blast caused several floors of the building to collapse. Russian media, quoting an unnamed source, reported at least three people were killed and several wounded. Local website 47 News also confirmed three dead citing emergency services. Unverified images showed the building’s two upper floors caved in with large piles of debris around it. Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko said the cause is still under investigation. He added that soldiers and security forces were sent to clear rubble and rescue potential victims. Russia’s Lenta news site reported fears of further collapse. The Russian Investigative Committee opened an investigation into possible fire safety violations. It said, “It has been preliminarily established that there are casualties as a result of the incident.” The explosion happened as a new round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Geneva. Despite the talks, tensions remain high, with Russia facing sabotage attacks on military sites since the invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. Gas leaks often cause blasts in Soviet-era buildings but authorities have not confirmed the cause yet.