Two killed in Russia hospital fire

Two patients died yesterday after a fire broke out in an intensive care unit of an infectious diseases hospital, typically used to treat Covid patients, in Astrakhan in southern Russia.

Accidental fires are common in Russia, where hundreds of blazes are recorded each year due to lax safety standards as well as ageing and dilapidated infrastructure.

"The bodies of two people have been found," the Investigative Committee, which handles serious crimes, said in a statement.