Apartment fire in western Russia kills two adults, seven children

Apartment fire in western Russia kills two adults, seven children

2012-03-09 20:21:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOKHOVOYE, Russia (BNO NEWS) -- Two adults and seven children were killed on late Friday morning when a fire broke out at an apartment building in western Russia, investigators said. A murder investigation has been launched.

The fire broke out at around 10:15 a.m. local time at a four-story residential building in the village of Mokhovoye, located in the federal subject of Perm. The fire quickly filled one of the apartments with thick smoke, killing nine people inside whose bodies were later found by firefighters.

A spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee identified the victims as a 34-year-old man, his wife, and seven children between the ages of 4 and 13. "According to a preliminary examination of the scene, the cause of the fire was arson," the spokesperson said, who added that the victims died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

"A group of experienced investigators, criminalists, fire technique experts and a forensic team have arrived from the city of Perm," the spokesperson said. "We will establish all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the reasons which led to the tragedy. The criminal investigation continues."

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