At least nine people were killed in a fire from Sunday to Monday, May 11, in a hospice near the Russian capital, local officials said.
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The fire started in a private hospice for the elderly in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, and was brought under control within an hour, according to the emergency services. "Nine people died at the scene and nine others were hospitalized in serious condition , " said Krasnogorsk authorities in a statement.
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The victims, whose bodies bore thermal burns, were between 66 and 90 years old, said the Russian investigation committee, the main body responsible for criminal investigations in the country. An investigation into a safety violation that resulted in reckless death was opened, the source said.
According to Russian news agencies, 37 people were in the building at the time of the fire. Several residents of the hospice were unable to walk and the staff could not get them out, even though the fire was relatively small, the daily Kommersant said. It was the second such incident in just over a month. In April, a fire in a retirement home in Moscow left six people dead.
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