A tragic fire has broken out in a residential building in the village of Rakitnoye, Khabarovsk city, Russia, claiming the lives of four people - two men and two women aged 29 to 54.

“The flames quickly engulfed the entire building. Fire crews managed to contain the fire within 30 minutes, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures. By 1:00 a.m. on February 26, open flames were extinguished, and crews proceeded with dousing and dismantling the burned structures. Firefighting operations concluded at 4:00 a.m., covering an area of 300 sq. meters,” the Russian Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM) said, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

Thirteen EMERCOM rescuers and four fire trucks from regional units participated in the operation. Psychologists from the Far Eastern branch of EMERCOM provided support to the relatives of the victims.

Authorities said that investigators are now probing the cause of the fire.