9 killed in Ukraine hotel fire

Nine people were killed and another 10 injured in a hotel fire in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa early Saturday, the State Emergency Service said in a news release.

According to the release posted on the service's website, the fire began at 1:34 a.m. local time (2234 GMT) in the Tokyo Star Hotel.

A representative of the Odessa regional state administration reported in a briefing that two foreign citizens and a child were among the victims.

There were about 200 people in the hotel, and at least 136 were evacuated from the area. Eight people died during the fire and another one in ambulance.

Among the injured, seven were in serious condition, and two sustained moderate injuries.

According to the regional state administration, all the victims suffered skin burns, as well as poisoning from combustion products.

Some 65 people and 13 units of equipment were deployed to put out the blaze, which was eliminated about three hours later.

The cause of the fire was unclear. Police opened a criminal investigation into possible violations of fire safety requirements.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Facebook that he would personally oversee that those responsible were punished by law.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman ordered a large-scale inspection of recreational venues, especially hotels and resorts, across the country following the incident.