MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. At least eight people were killed in a fire at a hostel at the Alma-Atinskaya street in the south of Moscow, a source in the emergencies services told TASS.

"It has been established that eight people died in the fire, three more are being examined by medics at the moment," the source said. "Rescuers continue clearing the debris."

"The fire has engulfed three rooms and a corridor on the total area of 150 square meters. It has been already put out," the source added.

The press office of the Emergencies Ministry has confirmed that eight people were killed in the fire adding that information about the fire, which erupted on the first floor of an apartment building in the south of the Russian capital was received at 23:58 Moscow time on Thursday and at 00:47 Moscow time on Friday it was extinguished.

The source in the emergencies services told TASS that fire fighters rescued eight people from the fire, while 200 people were evacuated from the high-rise apartment building.

A group of experts have arrived at the scene to establish the cause of the tragedy. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe into the death of people.