MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. At least three people were killed and eight required medical assistance after a fire broke out in an intensive care unit of a hospital in the Central Russian city of Ryazan early on Wednesday, the Russian emergencies ministry’s press service told TASS.

"In a coordinated effort of the firemen and the [medical] facility’s personnel, 35 people were evacuated, eight rescued. Three people, regretfully, died," the press service said.

Same figures were voiced by Ryazan’s emergency hotline.

"The number of victims stands at 11, including three fatalities. Two of them perished in the fire, one woman later died in an ambulance vehicle. The remaining eight victims have been sent to different hospitals of Ryazan," the hotline told TASS.

An emergency response center at the regional government said earlier in the day that two people were killed and 11 injured.

"The emergency response group of the regional government informs that, according to information provided by the Ryazan Region emergencies service, a fire was reported at the Semashko Regional Clinical Hospital at 3:36 [Moscow time]. According to initial information, the blaze broke out at an intensive care unit. 11 people were injured, nine of them were rescued. Regretfully, two people died," the statement said.

The region’s emergency hotline said the victims were patients undergoing treatment from severe COVID-19 complications.

At 04:04 the fire was contained at the area of about 15 square meters, to be fully extinguished 15 minutes later. Overall, 60 people and 19 pieces of equipment (including 45 people and 14 pieces of equipment of the Russian emergencies ministry) were taking part in the firefighting effort. The cause of the fire and the damage it had caused are now being established.