DUSHANBE, December 12, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Two Tajiks died in a building collapse in Moscow on Wednesday, Karomat Sharipov, chairman of the Moscow-based public association, Tajik Labor Migrants, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

According to him, they were identified as the 26-year-old Kamoliddin Ghafurov and the 33-year-old Rustam Boymurodzoda from the settlement of Norak.  “Besides, two other our fellow-countrymen, one of them is Karomatullo from the Vahdat district, may be buried in the rubble,” Sharipov said, noting that he does not yet have more information.

The unoccupied six-storey apartment building that had been undergoing reconstruction collapsed  on the corner of Starokonyushenny Lane and Old Arbat pedestrian street on Wednesday at around 3 p.m. local time.

Russian emergency officials said yesterday that four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of the collapsed apartment building.  One person was hospitalized with injuries on Wednesday.