Eight people were killed and eight injured after a fire broke out at a hostel in southern Moscow on Thursday night, the emergency services said. The hostel was located on the first floor of a 16-story residential building.
TASS news agency quoted an official source as saying the victims were migrant workers, and that the authorities were working to determine their nationality. The news outlet said that 400 residents were evacuated.
A faulty electrical system is believed to be the cause of the fire, TASS reported, citing emergency sources.
Andrey Rumyantsev, Moscow’s chief emergency official, told reporters that people could not escape the burning building because the windows had metal guards. He added that the building had an alarm system, but for some reason it did not work.
The authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the work of the hostel. Rumyantsev said that just last month, the owner of the hostel was warned by inspectors about multiple safety violations.