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Dead bodies found at hostel fire site near Irkutsk

The fire broke out on Sunday morning in a hostel where about 20 foreign workers from China resided

IRKUTSK, April 15 (Itar-Tass) - Remains of five bodies have been found at the fire site in a hostel where Chinese nationals resided in the city of Zima near Irkutsk, the Russian Investigative Committee's regional department said on Monday.

The fire broke out on Sunday morning in a hostel where about 20 foreign workers from China resided. They worked at a sawmill. Five of them with burns were taken to a local hospital.

Earlier, investigators and police said that remains of four dead bodies were found.

According to the updated information, the remains of the fifth body were found. There is no information about missing, the regional investigation department head's aide Vladimir Salovarov told Itar-Tass on Monday.

However, the Emergencies Ministry, which denied the information about the dead, still insisted that it was early to give reports about victims.

It is hard to say so far what remains were found. Maybe, these are not human remains, but of animals. If human, it is hard to say how many victims, deputy head of the Emergencies Ministry’s regional department Valentin Nelyubov said.