MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Five people have been killed in a fire that took place at St. George Hospital in St. Petersburg, a source in the emergency services informed TASS on Tuesday.

"Five patients put on artificial ventilation machines were killed in the fire," the source said.

The fire has been contained. "Its area reached 10 square meters," the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s press service informed TASS. The press service confirmed that there are casualties, but did not provide the exact number of people killed. "150 people have been evacuated," the press service added.

The fire may have been caused due to one of the ventilation machines short circuiting, a source in the emergency services told TASS.

Since mid-March, St. George Hospital in St. Petersburg has been re-equipped to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus.