Ten killed in Russian cafe fire

MOSCOW: Ten people were killed in an explosion and fire in a cafe in the Russian town of Orsk.

Authorities believe arson was behind the late-night blast and fire in the town, located 1,400 kilometres southeast of Moscow. The victims, five men and five women, included the owner of the cafe and customers.

"Following the explosion, an intense fire began, destroying the building completely. Fire-fighters pulled 10 people from beneath the charred ruins," Emergency Situations Ministry official Viktor Beltsov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

State-run news channel 'Vesti' said a preliminary investigation has identified arson as the cause of fire as one of the bodies recovered from charred remains of the crowded 'Yantarnoe' cafe had stab wounds.

The cafe is located at a local market in the town of about 250,000 people, close to the border with Kazakhstan.