At least 63 people died early on Tuesday when a fire ripped through a retirement home in southern Russia, the Interfax news agency reported quoting local officials.
About 33 more were injured in the fire that broke out in Kamyshevatskaya village in the Kuban region, officials said, adding that a total of 97 people were staying at the facility. Those injured were taken to a regional hospital.
According to emergency situations ministry officials quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency, the fire was reported at 1.11am Moscow time (10.11pm GMT on Monday), but firefighters made it to the site only an hour later as the nearest fire station was 50km from the village.
The fire was localised shortly after but took another three hours to put out. – AFP
