Eight people have been killed and several others seriously hurt in a fire at an illegal hostel in the Latvian capital Riga, officials say.
Firefighters were called to an apartment on the top floor of a six-storey building in the city’s Merkela Street in the early hours of Wednesday.
At least 24 people were evacuated from the burning building, some suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Most of the victims are believed to be foreign tourists, Riga’s mayor told reporters.
Mayor Martins Stakis said the apartment, located near the main railway station, was within a state building and did not have permission from the authorities to be used as a hostel.
He told reporters that police were asking for help to identify the victims and that “specialists have been employed to help with the language barrier”. He added that alternative accommodation was being provided to anyone affected.
Latvia’s deputy police chief, Andrejs Grishins, said that in addition to the eight fatalities, “nine were injured during the lethal fire in the hostel”.
The State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the area was cleared and roads were closed while rescue operations were under way, but that efforts were hindered because the apartment door was reinforced and required a key code to open.
It said the fire was brought extinguished after approximately six hours.
A criminal investigation is under way.