Five people have died after a hot water pipe burst at a hotel in Perm, Russia, and flooded part of the building with boiling water.
A further three people were taken to hospital with burns following the incident overnight on Sunday, according to the investigative department in Perm.
The department added in a statement that a criminal investigation had since been launched to look into whether the hotel had met its safety requirements.
It said: “Currently, at the scene under the leadership of the head of the investigative department, investigators of the district investigation department work, criminal investigators who interrogate victims, appoint the necessary forensic examinations, conduct other investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident, collecting and fixing the evidence base.
“After eliminating the consequences of the accident, investigators will begin to inspect the scene of the incident. The criminal investigation is ongoing.”
The location of the hotel on the ground floor of a residential buildng has also led to further questions about safety and security.
“Hostels shouldn’t be open in basements, where all pipelines are located,” Russian politician Oleg Melnichenko said.