INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Eight foreigners have been killed and four injured in a fire at a Moscow hostel, news agencies reported early Friday
The flames broke out on the first floor of the building in southwestern Moscow due to likely equipment failure or a power grid emergency,
the state-run TASS news agency cited an unnamed emergency services source as saying
Two-hundred people reportedly evacuated from the apartment block in which the ground-floor hostel is located
Four were hospitalized after jumping from the upper floors of the several-story building.Authorities believe the eight victims died from
smoke inhalation.The victims are believed to have been prevented from evacuating to safety by window security bars and a blocked emergency
exit, TASS reported, citing unnamed sources
Hostel owners may have also had deactivated a fire alarm
The victims are believed to be migrants from unspecified countries, TASS quoted an unnamed source as saying
Authorities have opened a criminal case into safety violations that led to deaths.Accidental fires are common in Russia, where hundreds of
blazes are recorded each year due to aging and dilapidated infrastructure and non-compliance with safety standards that are often lax.
