The owner of a retirement home in the city of Kemerovo in Russia was charged with negligence after a fire ravaged the building, resulting in the deaths of 22 individuals and damage of 180 square meters of premises, the Russian Investigative Committee said on Saturday.  

According to officials, the fire which erupted on Saturday was caused by the violation of safety regulations when using the stove heating. 

"Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee in the Kemerovo region charged a 31-year old local resident with a crime under Part 3 Article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code (providing services that do not meet requirements for safety or health of consumers and that have negligently led to the death of two or more people)," the committee wrote on Telegram.

Ночью в Кемерове произошёл пожар в доме престарелых: выгорел весь второй этаж, где жили постояльцы. Погибло 20 человек.

Здание было деревянным и отапливалось с помощью печи. Власти утверждают, что дом престарелых находился в нём незаконно.

Ужасная трагедия и халатность. pic.twitter.com/qjuMxiPURY

— Андрей Пивоваров (@brewerov) December 24, 2022

Despite that residents of the nursing home complained about a faulty boiler, the owner hadn't done anything to repair it.

According to witnesses, the fire was exacerbated by the fact there were gas cylinders installed inside the facility.

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