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Arson was reason for fire at block of flats in Perm Territory

A fire in a flat of the four-story dwelling house broke out in the village of Mokhovoye in the morning of March 9
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, March 9 (Itar-Tass) — The reason for a fire at the block of flats in the Perm Territory was an arson, and a criminal case was instituted under the article “murder”, Itar-Tass learnt at the Russian Investigation Committee.

A fire in a flat of the four-story dwelling house broke out in the village of Mokhovoye in the morning of March 9. While fighting the flames, firefighters found the bodies of nine people, including seven children.

“In connection with this fact, investigative bodies of the Investigation Committee for the Perm Territory instituted a criminal case under Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder of two or more people),” the Investigation Committee reported.

According to preliminary results of the inspection of the place of the incident, “an arson was the reason for the fire”. As a result, the flat was filled with excessive smoke. A 34-year-old man, his wife and seven children in the 4-13-year age group died of poisoning with carbon monoxide.

Investigators, the head of the first section on investigating especially important cases, a group of experienced homicide specialists, a firefighting expert and a group of forensic medicine specialists who arrived from Perm, work at the place of the tragedy.

“They try to establish all circumstances of the incident, including reasons that led to the tragedy,” the Investigation Committee reported.