Russia - 42 killed in Moscow hospital fire

AFP via translation | December 8, 2006

[HAL9000]

MOSCOW - Forty-two people died in a fire which was declared in a center of detoxication for doped in Moscow in the night of Friday to Saturday, announced agency ITAR-TASS early Saturday morning quoting of the persons in charge for the firemen.

Persons in charge for the Russian ministry of the Situations urgently quoted by the Interfax agency for their part made state of 30 died, adding that "une hundred people could have been saved and 50 others had been hospitalized".

On its side, agency RIA Novosti makes state of 34 dead.

Earlier, the first-aid organizations had indicated that some 150 people had been evacuated.

Fire was declared on the second floor of a building which counts eight with 01H40 local (Friday 22H40 GMT).

More than 20 vehicles of firemen were on the spot to try to circumscribe the fire in the building, located in the south-west of the city.

[GSlob]

The translation would be more funny with "More than 20 vehicles of firemen were on the spot to try to circumcise the fire in the building". But the computers do not have the sense of humor. Only the humans are capable of real bloopers, like an acquaintance of mine who was absolutely convinced that a digital rectal exam involved computers. I gave up on trying to disabuse him, and had to agree with him and tell him that, yes, they shove the whole computer in.

[bpjam]

Sounds like its time to pull out of Moscow. Its obviously too dangerous a place to be and for the good of the country they should withdraw before we waste the life of a single additional human being. Somebody call Ramsay Clark!!

[Polak z Polski]

What a terrible tragedy. Let's pray for those poor people. Forget politics, and pray.

[jer33 3]

Arson Probable Cause

Arson probable cause of Moscow fire, killing 42 By ASSOCIATED PRESS

A fire broke out in a women's ward of a Moscow drug treatment hospital early Saturday, filling the ward with heavy smoke and killing 42 people, the city fire department said.

Russia's chief fire inspector, Yuri Nenashev, said he was "90 percent certain" that the fire was caused by arson. But Moscow city prosecutor Yuri Syomin said that investigators were looking into other possibilities, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Moscow fire department spokesman Yevgeny Bobylyov said that investigators were still working at the site of Hospital No. 17 in southern Moscow but that it was already clear that the first call to the fire department had come very late.

"Secondly, the hospital personnel worked very badly, they did not take steps to evacuate people in the early stages of the fire," he said.

[jer33 3]

Russia Hopsital Fire

RUSSIA-HOSPITAL FIRE
Fire kills 45 women at hospital in Moscow, arson is suspected

MOSCOW (AP) _ At least 45 people are dead in Moscow, killed in the city's deadliest fire in three years.

All the victims from the fire in a drug treatment hospital were women.

Russian authorities say the blaze broke out early Saturday in a women's ward, filling it with heavy smoke. The chief fire inspector says he's "90-percent certain" that the fire was caused by arson. Although the ITAR-Tass news agency says investigators are also looking into other possibilities, including a trash fire.

Officials say the victims were trapped between the fire and a locked gate. Most died from asphyxiation. Some died from burns.

According to an emergency official, all the women were dead by the time firefighters arrived. He says "judging by the placement of the bodies, they really tried to get out."

A fire department spokesman says 160 people were evacuated from the five-story building. Ten of them are hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning.

[Cheapskate]

Is Vlad running low on posion now?