Eight dead in Moscow building fire: Bars on the windows prevented people from escaping
Eva Deschamps / July 29, 2022
A fire in a building in southeast Moscow killed at least eight people during the night from Thursday to Friday, announced the Russian authorities, specifying that the fire had broken out in a hostel.
According to preliminary information, eight people died and four others were hospitalized, the Investigation Committee, which is responsible for major criminal cases, said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the emergency services said the fire affected the first floor of a 15-storey building, was quickly brought under control shortly before 1 a.m.and led to the evacuation of more than 200 people.
Bars on the windows prevented people from escaping, this is the main reason for the deaths, said Andrei Rumyantsev, acting head of the Moscow rescue services, quoted by the state agency TASS.
He said the hostel's fire alarm did not work and violations of safety rules were reported during control visits to the establishment in 2019 and last June.
An investigation for failure to comply with safety requirements has been opened, the Investigative Committee said.
Russia is regularly hit by deadly fires or gas leaks linked to dilapidated infrastructure or negligence.