Vladivostok office fire kills nine as escape routes barred

A fire broke out in an office building in the Russian Pacific coast city of Vladivostok today, 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.