Thirty-nine bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a Russian apartment building that partially collapsed this week after an apparent gas explosion.

Russian emergency officials say the search of the collapsed apartment building is over.

The blast in the early hours of 31 December damaged 48 apartments in a 10-storey building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk.

Rescuers have been working in freezing temperatures to try to recover people trapped under the rubble.

A 10-month-old boy pulled from the wreckage in the city of Magnitorgorsk on Tuesday was the only person found alive in the debris. He is being treated in Moscow for serious injuries and was described as being in stable condition on Thursday.

As of Thursday morning, 22 of the dead had been identified, Russian news agencies reported, citing the local branch of the emergencies ministry.

Russia’s investigative committee, which examines major crimes, has said it is still looking into the cause of the blast. It said no traces of explosives had been found at the site. Initial reports attributed the blast to a gas explosion.

Gas explosions are relatively common in Russia because of ageing infrastructure and poor safety regulations surrounding gas use.