The Investigative Committee said in a statement that 34 people have been evacuated to safety after the private retirement home in the city of Krasnoyarsk caught fire early today.
Officials said the fire started in an adjacent building and moved to the main building. The Tass news agency quoted local investigators saying that the fire might have started from a nearby bathhouse.
Poor safety regulations have been blamed for fires at retirement homes in Russia, which are not unusual.