Fire detox hospital in Moscow

Relatives of grieving victims waiting outside the hospital (Photo: AFP)

A hospital for Moscow drug addicts was burned and 45 women died and eight others poisoned carbon monoxide or were injured. Officials say up to 90% of the likelihood of a firefighter in Hospital 17 in southwestern Moscow.

The victims were all killed by smoke inhalation before the fire brigade could reach the fire.

Officials said the hospital building had only one exit and windows were sealed. Previous concerns about fire safety have also been raised.

The fire started at 22.40 GMT, from the second floor, which started with a small fire, but produced a lot of smoke, probably due to burning on plastic wall coverings, according to Russian media.

Russia's Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations said the fire department responded to a fire call just four minutes later, evacuating 177 patients and 15 employees at the institute.

'Delay response'

Moscow firefighter spokesman said the hospital staff was too slow when the fire alarmed.'They work very poorly, they do not take steps to evacuate people when the fire is at an early stage , ' he said.

Officials have called for hospital closures for safety reasons (Photo: BBC)

There was also a theory that the staff were controlled by the smoke very quickly and they could not act.'The fire is quite small, but the smoke is very thick, and people are poisoned with smoke when they are sleeping,' a rescue worker told Itar-Tass news agency.

Concerns about safety

Fire safety officers went to the hospital in February and March, and called for temporary closure of the hospital for safety reasons.

'Unfortunately, this decision is not accepted , ' said Yuri Nenashev, Russia's chief inspector.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Issues, this hospital has a ' special ' design, only one way out, with windows blocked, to cure addicts. According to the Associated Press, about 18,000 people in Russia die each year from fires, ten times higher than in the United States.