At least eight people were killed and one other was injured in a hostel fire in the Moscow region town of Istra, emergency officials said Friday.
The fire broke out at 4:00 a.m. local time and was extinguished around five hours later, the Emergency Situations Ministry’s local branch said, according to the news agency Moskva.
A video shared by Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry showed the charred remains of the building.
The Moscow region prosecutor’s office said an unidentified 23-year-old man had rented the building and sublet it to undocumented migrants. The law enforcement body said it launched a criminal investigation into the organization of illegal migration following the incident.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, launched a separate investigation into negligent homicide.
The state-run news agency RIA Novosti, citing an anonymous emergency official, reported that the Istra hostel fire may have spread from a fireplace and people may have died from smoke inhalation.
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Remind me later.
