A fire erupted overnight in a private nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, killing 22 people, Russia’s investigative committee said Saturday.
In a video released by the emergency services, a long row of emergency vehicles lined up outside the burning building, as firefighters tackled flames which sent plumes of smoke into the night sky.
Images released by emergency services showed the building later completely burned out.Russia’s investigative committee said it opened a probe into causing death by negligence.
A fire broke out overnight in a private property used as a nursing home, the investigative committee said on Telegram, adding that the death toll has risen to 22.
Six more people were injured, two of them were hospitalised and are in a serious condition with burns, the Telegram statement added.
The fire spread over 180 square metres in a two-storey wooden building, TASS reported. The committee said a 31-year-old man had been taken for questioning, who had “rented out a private property to people in (a) difficult situation.”
“On the eve of the incident, the tenants informed the accused that the stove was faulty, but he did not take any action to repair the equipment,” the investigative committee said.
“Inspections on the scene are ongoing,” the committee said, adding that “witnesses are being questioned”.
