Fire in Russian military hostel kills eight

A spokeswoman said fire completely destroyed the single-storey brick building in Shchyolkovo district north of Moscow.

Eight people, including two children, died when fire broke out in a military hostel outside Moscow on Monday, the Emergencies Ministry said.

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A spokeswoman said fire completely destroyed the single-storey brick building in Shchyolkovo district north of Moscow, which housed 53 servicemen and members of their families. She said the cause of the fire was unknown.

Poor housing for servicemen and their families is a major headache for Russia's top brass, which is trying to modernise the creaking 1.2-million-strong armed forces.

The government says building new apartments for the military and renovating existing premises are a priority.