Fire in unregistered Russian home for elderly kills 20 people

Authorities open an investigation into incident

Russian emergency services fight a fire at a private nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, where 20 people were killed on December 24. AFP

Emergency Ministry crews attend a fire at a nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russia, where 20 people died. AP

The Russian Emergency Ministry said a fire at a nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, broke out before dawn on Saturday in the two-storey wooden building in the city 3,000 kilometres east of Moscow. AP

Fire crews did not say what started the fire at a nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo but that the building was heated by stoves. AP

Russia's Investigative Committee says it is examining the possibility of negligence in the Kemerovo fire. AP

There were no details of how many people lived in the building or were there when the fire started. AP

Firefighters work at the site of a nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo to ensure the blaze is extinguished. AP

Russian emergency services officers and police investigators begin work inside a private nursing home in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, where 20 people were killed. AFP

A fire broke out in an unregistered home for the elderly in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, killing 20 people, emergency services said on Saturday.

The entire second floor of the building was burnt out. The overnight blaze had been brought under control, fire safety officials were quoted by Tass as saying.

“At the site of the fire, rescuers continue to work on the rubble in cold conditions. According to the latest data, 20 people died,” the report said.

The fire broke out before dawn in the two-storey wooden building in the city 3,000 kilometres east of Moscow.

The cause was not immediately determined but news reports said the building was heated by stoves.

It was not clear how many people lived at the home or how many were in the building when the fire started.

The fire safety officials said many homes for the elderly operated without registration throughout Russia and could not be subject to inspections as they were officially considered private property.

Russia's investigative committee, which looks into major crimes, said it opened an investigation into death by negligence.

With reporting from agencies