Hostel fire kills 13 people in Kazakhstan
The fire broke out early in the morning in a three-storey building whose ground and basement levels were occupied by 72 hostel guests
Emergency specialists work at the site of a fire at a hostel in Almaty, Kazakhstan, November 30, 2023. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev
Thirteen people died in a fire at a hostel in Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty, on Thursday, the city's emergencies department said in a statement.
Nine victims were Kazakhs, two people were from Russia and two from Uzbekistan, the Almaty police department said.
The fire broke out early in the morning in a three-storey building whose ground and basement levels were occupied by 72 hostel guests. The victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning, while the remaining 59 people managed to leave the building.
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Four people sought medical help, including a student from India, Zakon.kz cited the authorities as saying.
The cause of the fire remained unclear. The government said it has set up a special commission to investigate it.
