Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

23 missing after fire in Russian retirement home

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-01 14:18

MOSCOW -- Twenty-three people are missing as a fire engulfed a retirement home in northern Russia's Komi republic, local media reported Saturday.

Three of the home's residents were evacuated and 23 are missing, Grigory Gorbunov, a spokesman for the regional emergency situations center, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

This picture shows a burning retirement home in the village of Podielsk, some 100 kms from the Komi capital Syktyvkar. Twenty-three people are missing as a fire engulfed a retirement home in northern Russia's Komi republic, local media reported Saturday. [Agencies]

The fire broke out at 18:20 Moscow time (1520 GMT) on Saturday and has not been put out yet, Gorbunov said, adding that the search and rescue operation is still underway.

The Interfax news agency quoted emergency officials in Komi as saying that up to 25 people might have died in the fire.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an investigation into the accident and the initial results will be reported to him within the next few days, the president's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said.

The president also instructed Komi's chief Vladimir Torlopov to give all necessary aid to the injured people and relatives of the fire casualties.