Fire At Private Drug Treatment Clinic In Russian City Caused By Arson - Investigators

KRASNOYARSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) The cause of the fire at a private drug treatment clinic in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk was arson committed by a patient, the Investigative Committee of Russia said on Thursday, adding the patient was not among the dead.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said that four people died and two others were injured as a result of the blaze, which broke out late on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 16 people have been rescued. A source in the emergency services told Sputnik that there were two main possible causes of the fire: careless handling of fire and failure of electrical equipment.

"We have established that the cause of the blaze was arson. Investigators, while watching a video by internal surveillance cameras, found that one of the patients was setting fire to interior items, as a result of which the fire spreads rapidly through the ward," investigators told reporters.

A person involved in the crime is currently being identified, as the arsonist was not among those killed, the committee said, adding that a criminal case has been opened.