Fire At Astana Warehouse Kills At Least 16

ASTANA -- At least 16 workers were killed by a fire at an Astana warehouse filled with plastic-foam materials, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry said the number of workers who were inside the building when the fire started on November 9 is unknown and rescuers are searching the site for other possible victims.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Violations of the fire-safety code are common in Kazakhstan.

In September, at least 38 people were killed in a blaze at a drug-treatment center in the southeastern Kazakh city of Taldy-Qorghan.