21 Schoolchildren and 1 Teacher Killed in Fire in Yakutia

A terrible tragedy occurred in the village of Sydybal (Yakutia) on Monday. 21 children and one teacher were killed in a fire in the local school. Ten children were taken to hospital with burns and coal gas poisoning.

The fire began at 9.15 a.m., local time, soon after classes began, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said. The two-storey wooden school building was burnt to the ground.

Five fifth-form pupils, seven sixth-form pupils, an eighth-form pupil, a tenth form pupil and seven eleventh-form pupils were killed in the fire.

A commission of the Yakut government came to the site of the tragedy to find out the causes of children's death.