Russian furniture factory fire kills 12

A fire at an illegal furniture factory in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg killed 12 people


and injured 10 others, emergency officials said Wednesday.
      The fire started Tuesday afternoon, and workers reportedly tried for some time to extinguish it on their own before calling in firefighters, ITAR-Tass reported.
      It took until Wednesday morning to control the fire, and the initial death toll was eight, but four more bodies were found as firefighters combed the rubble.
      Vladimir Agapitov, a senior official with the regional emergencies ministry in the city in the Ural Mountains told the news agency a criminal investigation was launched, as evacuation routes were blocked, and several of the injured had to jump out windows.
      He said there was also no automatic fire protection system, and flammable liquids had been illegally kept on the first floor. Agapitov said some of those who died were killed by toxic smoke from the chemicals.