Fire in Moscow: “Bars on windows prevented people from escaping”

At least eight people were killed in a fire at a building southeast of Moscow overnight Thursday, Russian authorities said, noting that the fire was reported at a hotel. “According to preliminary information, eight people have died and four have been hospitalized,” the investigative body responsible for major criminal cases said in a statement.

In a separate statement, emergency services said the fire affected the ground floor of the fifteen-story building and was brought under control shortly before 1 a.m., prompting the evacuation of more than 200 people.

“The bars on the windows prevented people from escaping, which was the main reason for the deaths,” said Andrey Rumyantsev, acting head of Moscow’s emergency services, as quoted by public agency TASS. In 2019 and last June, the hotel’s fire alarm did not work, violating safety rules, he said.

An investigation into “non-compliance with security requirements” has been opened, the inquiry panel said. Russia is constantly plagued by fires or deadly gas leaks linked to dilapidated infrastructure or negligence.