A fire broke out in a psychiatric hospital in a Moscow region town early Friday, killing at least 38 of the 41 patients and staff, emergency officials said.
SIA reports quoting the Moscow times only two patients and a nurse managed to survive the blaze at the facility in Ramensky, 120 kilometers north of Moscow.
Investigators on Friday morning were looking into what caused the fire, which has been extinguished.
They were also investigating why the incident claimed such a high death toll.
Preliminary findings suggested that some patients may not have been able to flee because of the influence of the powerful medication that they were taking as treatment, Interfax reported.
At least some of the hospital's windows had bars, which also could have prevented the patients from escaping.
Fire safety inspectors visited the hospital to make sure it met safety standards twice last year, Interfax said. During the first visit they have found a few violations that were fixed before their follow-up visit in August, the report said.
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into where fire-safety rules were violated.
Andrei Vorobyev, the acting governor of the Moscow region, has declared Saturday a day of mourning.
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