Ten killed in shoe factory fire in Siberia

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Ten people were killed after a fire broke out in the warehouse of a shoe factory near the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, according to TASS news agency.

The Chinese Consulate General in Yekaterinburg confirmed that seven Chinese were killed in the incident. In addition, two Kyrgyz nationals and one Russian are reportedly among the dead.

The incident took place at about 9 a.m. local time on Thursday. The blaze covered about 2,000 square meters.

Russian Emergencies Ministry's fire trucks putting out fire. /VCG Photo

Some reports say that the burning of shoes and synthetic materials resulted in the release of large amounts of toxic smoke, but the local emergency ministry has stated that there is no harm to local residents.

At present, the situation is under control and the fire has been extinguished.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Russian Emergencies Ministry's firefighters at work. /VCG Photo

The consulate general has sent officials to the scene to learn more about the situation.

The Chinese embassy in Russia has expressed deep condolences to the Chinese citizens who died in the fire and to the relatives of the victims, and urged local authorities to identify the cause of the fire as soon as possible

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