A fire at a psychiatric hospital in southern Russia has killed 23 people. A further 20 people were injured according to the country’s emergencies ministry. The fire broke out in the village of Alferovka in the southern region of Voronezh.
The hospital building built during the Soviet-era was made of wood. It was completely destroyed by the fire, a spokesman said.
More than 440 firefighters and emergency workers spent around three hours bringing the fire under control. It was not immediately clear what triggered the blaze.
Large fires are a common occurrence in Russia where outdated Soviet-era infrastructure is still in widespread use. A fire at a psychiatric hospital in northwest Russia in September 2013 claimed the lives of 37 people while another fire in April of the same year killed 38. In 2009, 156 people were killed in a nightclub fire in the city of Perm, 700 miles east of Moscow.