Hostel fire kills 13 people in Kazakhstan

    

 

 

 

 

 

A fire at a hostel killed 13 people in Almaty, Kazakhstan, officials said Thursday, Nov. 30.
 

The deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the city's emergency situations department.
 

"In the course of reconnaissance and extinguishing the fire, 13 dead were initially discovered, their identities are being established," the department said in a statement. “Preliminarily, they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

 

 

The fire was reported just after 5:30 am on Thursday morning, (2330 GMT Wednesday). It started in the basement of a three-story residential building. 
 

The emergency department said that 72 people were staying at the hostel at the time of the fire, 59 of whom were safely evacuated.

 

 

By 6:22 am, the fire was extinguished.
 

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.