Several Kyrgyz, Uzbeks Among Victims Of Moscow Fire

BISHKEK -- Eight Kyrgyz citizens, including one child, were killed when a fire swept through a textile workshop in northeastern Moscow over the weekend.

Two Russian citizens of Kyrgyz origin and two Uzbek nationals also died in the blaze on January 30, Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said on February 1.

Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev is supervising assistance to the victims' relatives to travel to Moscow, the ministry said.

The fire broke out at around 9 p.m. and covered an area of 3,000 square meters.

It took firefighters about five hours to extinguish it.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

The workshop location was being rented by Kyrgyz businessman Alym Toguzakov.

Toguzakov's brother, Murat Toguzakov, told RFE/RL that Alym Toguzakov's son, Erkin, was among the victims.

He said all the Kyrgyz victims were relatives from the southern Batken region.