Story highlights
- Police find 38 bodies
- A criminal investigation was launched
- Saturday will be a day of mourning
A fire tore through a psychiatric hospital near Moscow, killing 38 people, Russian officials said Friday.
There were 41 people in the building and three escaped the blaze early Friday, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministries.
Officials retrieved 38 bodies from the site of the fire.
The fire was out and Andrei Vorobyov, acting governor of the Moscow region, had rushed to the scene.
A criminal investigation was launched and Saturday will be a day of mourning, the Russian Health Ministry said.
Deadly hospital fire kills dozens 01:43
The fire may have been sparked by an electrical short, the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an investigation into the blaze.
In a statement on the government website, he urged law enforcement agencies, the health ministry, the acting governor of the region and other local officials to ensure survivors get the help they need.
