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At least 9 dead in neurological hospital fire in central Russia

13 December 2015 03:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least nine people have been killed and some 22 injured in a fire at a neurological hospital in Russia’s central Voronezh region. Over a dozen remain unaccounted for as authorities scour the rubble of the wooden structure which was destroyed by the blaze, APA reports quoting RIA.

“In the process of examining the rubble, two more victims have been discovered,” an Emergencies Ministry crisis center source told. With five bodies having been found under the debris so far, the total death toll currently stands at nine.

Some 70 patients were inside the building, along with at least four medical personnel, when the fire started. At least 29 of the patients were reportedly bedridden or with limited mobility.

Only 57 people have been evacuated from the burning building, according to emergency services working at the scene.

Two them have been declared dead at the site, while over 20 have been hospitalized after suffering injuries. Another two of the wounded succumbed to their injuries en route to hospital.

Twelve people reportedly remain unaccounted for as authorities continue working at the scene. The roof of the single-story unit collapsed when the fire consumed all 600 square meters of the building.

Forty six people were transferred to another unit which had not been damaged by the fire.

Authorities believe that a wiring malfunction in the hospital’s electrical system might be the cause of the tragedy.

“Among the main versions [are that it] is the faulty wiring, we are also considered a version of careless handling of fire,” a spokesman from the local emergencies ministry told.