Efforts to rescue hundreds of people trapped in the basement of a bombed theatre in the besieged city of Mariupol are being hampered by intense battles in the area, the mayor says.

Vadym Boychenko told the BBC teams were only able to clear the rubble of the building during lulls in the fighting.

Ukrainian officials say Russia attacked the site, which was clearly marked as a civilian shelter. Moscow denies it.

Russian forces have encircled the city, which has no electricity, water or gas.

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