UPDATE - Eight People Killed in Fire in Single-Family House in Russia's Kuzbass Region - Source

KEMEROVO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2018) Eight people, including minors, were killed in a fire in a single-family house in the town of Yurga in Russia's Kemerovo region, a source in the region's emergency services told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"According to preliminary information, eight people, including children, died in a fire in a single-family house in Yurga. One of them died in hospital, in intensive care," the source said.

Another victim has been hospitalized, he added.

According to the source, the fire occurred on Tuesday night, its reasons are being investigated.

In turn, the General Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the Kemerovo Region confirmed the fact of the fire to Sputnik.

"Five vehicles and 19 people of the Emergencies Ministry were sent to the scene," the agency's spokesperson said.

The fire-alarm signal was received at 4.20 a.m. (21.20 GMT on Monday), the fire was extinguished at 5.19 (22.19 GMT on Monday), he added.

The regional department of the Russian Investigative Committee told Sputnik it had launched a criminal case over the incident.

"A criminal case has been initiated on the fact of the fire in Article 109 part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code (negligent homicide two or more persons), eight people were killed," the department's spokesperson said.

Kuzbass Governor Sergei Tsivilev expressed his condolences and noted that the entire region mourns the people who died in the fire.

"I instructed to reveal all the circumstances of the death of eight people, as well as the condition of the hospitalized person," Tsivilev said.

The only survivor lost mother, boyfriend, three children and three grandchildren in the deadly fire, a local law enforcement source told Sputnik.

"A 42-year-old woman rented a private house where a fire broke out. Her 72-year-old mother, 30-year-old boyfriend, three children aged four to five and three grandchildren aged two to 12 were killed," the source said.

A spokesman for the region's emergency services also said that the commander of the fire unit was injured while extinguishing the fire.