Nine die as fire engulfs Russian offices

A FIRE broke out in an office building in the Russian Pacific coast city of Vladivostok yesterday, killing nine people and injuring at least 15 others as trapped victims jumped from windows to escape the smoke and flames.

Officials said that some stairwells in the building were blocked by gates, hampering rescue efforts, and witnesses said some of the victims mostly young women had jumped from upper floors of the nine-storey building.

The fire killed nine people six who died at the scene, including one whose body was found hours after the blaze and three who died in hospital, said Yulia Kozitskaya, a spokeswoman for the regional branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry. She said 15 others remained in hospital.