17 killed in fire at elderly people’s care home in Ukraine

KIEV, MAY 29: At least 17 people were killed on Sunday in a fire at an elderly people’s care home in Ukraine’s central Kiev region, authorities said.

The State Service for Emergencies said the blaze broke out around 3.40 a.m. (local time) in a private elderly care facility which housed 35 people at that time, Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 150 rescuers and firefighters who were dispatched to the scene managed to rescue 18 people.

At least five seniors were sent to a hospital with burns, with two of them in critical conditions.

The Ukrainian government has set up a special commission to investigate the accident.