A fire at a women’s shelter outside Moscow put five people in the hospital on Friday. According to the local authorities, two women and three children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and are currently in serious condition.
When the fire broke out, 26 people were in the building, including 18 children. The shelter’s other residents were relocated to another center in the region.
Officials believe the cause was a short circuit in a space heater, and investigators have opened a criminal probe into possible negligence at the property.