Two people died in a blaze that engulfed three houses in Russia’s west Siberian city of Omsk early on Thursday, an emergencies ministry spokesperson said.

“Two bodies were discovered as the blaze was being extinguished,” he said.

He also said that one of the buildings had been used for the reupholstering of furniture.

Russia has an appalling fire-safety record. Around 15,000 people die in fires across the country annually. In the United States, with more than twice the population, the figure is around 3,400 deaths a year.

MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti)