More than 30 people are missing after a fire swept through a psychiatric hospital housing some 60 patients in north-western Russia, officials say.
The blaze occurred in the village of Luka, in Novgorod region. There are unconfirmed reports of deaths.
The fire broke out just before 03:00 local time (23:00 GMT Thursday).
It may have been started by one of the patients, reports say. Officials had previously tried to close the building among safety concerns.
The fire started in the male ward and spread quickly through the hospital, emergency ministry officials say. TV pictures later showed the gutted building.
The fire has been extinguished, and rescuers are searching the nearby forest, hoping to find any survivors who may have taken refuge there.
Several fires at state institutions across Russia in recent years resulted in heavy loss of life.
In April, a blaze at another psychiatric hospital near Moscow killed 38 people.
In 2009, 23 people died at an old people’s home in the north-west Komi region, while in 2007, 63 were killed at a home in Krasnodar, southern Russia.
In 2006, a fire at a Moscow drug rehabilitation clinic killed 45 women.
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