NIZHNY NOVGOROD, November 3 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll from an apartment complex fire in central Russia has risen to eight, the Emergencies Ministry said on Tuesday.

The fire was reported at approximately 1:00 am Tuesday (GMT 22:00 Monday) in a wooden complex containing eight apartments in the town of Balakhna, some 30 kms from the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Earlier reports said seven people had died and one had been injured.

"At 15:10 Moscow time (12:10 GMT) the eighth body was discovered," the ministry said in a statement, adding there were four men and four women among the dead.

Six of the eight bodies were reported to have been identified.

Witnesses earlier said there were parties going on in two of the apartments at the time of the fire.