Ukraine: Bomb hits school, suspected of dozens dead

The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, confirmed two deaths, saying 60 people allegedly died under the school's ruins in Bilohorivoka.

About 90 people were sheltered in the building and 30 were rescued, seven were injured, he added.

Gida said a Russian plane dropped the bomb on Saturday.

The BBC says its accusations could not be verified independently, and adds there was no immediate response from Russia.

Luhanski has experienced fierce fighting in recent days as Russian troops and separatist fighters seek to surround Ukrainian government forces, just over two months since the beginning of the Russian occupation.

Bilohorivka is near the town of Severodonnetsk, a Ukrainian-controlled part.

The blast destroyed the building, which caught fire, and the firefighters took three hours to extinguish the flames, Ukrainian authorities reported.

They said almost the entire village had been sheltered in the school basement.

The final death toll will be known only when the ruins are cleared, authorities said.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, the UN has registered at least 2,345 dead civilians and 2,919 injured in Ukraine, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in an update last month.

Thousands of fighters are also believed to have been killed or injured by both sides.

More than 12 million people have reportedly fled their homes since the beginning of the conflict, with 5.7 million fleeing to neighboring countries, and another 6.5 million are thought to have moved into war-torn Ukraine itself.

Most of Luhansk, which is part of the Donbas region, has been under separatist control for the last eight years.