MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Four adults and two children were killed in a fire that broke out late on Tuesday in a building in downtown Moscow, housing a hotel and apartments, the press service of the Russian emergencies ministry told TASS.

"Six people were killed as a result of the fire - four grown-ups and two children," the ministry’s press service said.

Nine people, including three children, were injured.

The fire broke out on Tuesday evening, on the fifth floor of a 17-floor building in downtown Moscow’s Mezhdunarodnaya street, housing a hotel and apartments. The fire engulfed the area of 300 square meters in the apartment section of the building before being put out around midnight on Tuesday. Arson committed by one of residents, probably in the state of intoxication, is seen as a possible cause, an emergencies source told TASS, citing information obtained from the building’s residents.

A total of 50 people, including seven children, were rescued during the firefighting effort. Overall, 200 people were evacuated from the burning building.

The blaze was put out at 23:43. Firefighters are currently damping down the building.

The Moscow Department of the Russian Investigative Committee said a criminal case had been launched.