Avalanche in central Russia kills 4

An avalanche in the central Russian region of Tatarstan killed at least four children Monday, emergency officials said.

The incident occurred in the town of Bugulma, about 450 miles east of Moscow, in a gully on the outskirts of town, said Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman Viktor Beltsov.

Roughly a dozen children were playing the gully when they were buried by the snow. Preliminary information said rescuers were able to save nine children, who were taken to hospitals. Several were in serious condition, Beltsov said.

It was unclear how deep the gully was.

The incident was the second fatal avalanche in Tatarstan in as many days. On Sunday, a 15-year-old boy died in a gully in another part of the region, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.