Two children die in fire in West Siberia's Omsk

A two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl died on Tuesday in an apartment fire in the West Siberian city of Omsk, emergency services said.

A two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl died on Tuesday in an apartment fire in the West Siberian city of Omsk, emergency services said.

Another two children were hospitalized and are said to be in a "satisfactory" condition. An investigation is underway.

Eight people, including another two children, died in fires in the Omsk Region at the weekend.

According to Russia's emergency services, 15,165 people died in fires across the country in 2008, including 584 children. On average, 42 people die daily in Russia in fires. In the U.S., with a population over twice as large, the figure is around 3,400 deaths a year.

NOVOSIBIRSK, November 24 (RIA Novosti)