22 dead in a fire at a private center for the elderly in Russia

Twenty-two people died on Friday night, following a fire at a special center for the elderly in Kemerovo, Siberia, in east-central Russia, according to Russia’s ambulance services.

An early ambulance service post on ‘Telegram’ stated that ‘at 5.25am (3.25am GMT), paramedics finished their work clearing the rubble. The fire claimed the lives of 20 people.

The death toll rose to 22.

The Russian Investigative Committee said two more bodies were found during a search of the site. The death toll rose to 22.

According to the investigators, “six people were injured, two of them in serious condition, and were taken to hospital”.

An investigation into the incident was opened on the decision of the Russian investigative committee interested in the main investigations in the country, on the basis of “negligence which caused the death of two or more people”.

The committee said in a statement that “forensic investigators are working on the scene of the accident with the institution’s management.”

And he added: “The identity of the owner of the center has been ascertained”, without further clarification.

The investigative commission has released a short film shot at the site of the accident, which shows the serious damage caused by the fire that destroyed the entire interior of the center.

The video released by the ambulance service showed the charred roof of the small shelter, surrounded by fire engines.

And the Russian news agency “Tass” reported that the fire spread over an area of ​​180 square meters in a two-story wooden building at night.