The fire in Russia's Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University caused severe casualties including Chinese students, of whom 40 were injured and 13 were missing, Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday in Beijing.

The ministries of foreign affairs and education attach great importance to the issue and demand the Chinese embassy in Russia and other concerned departments to take quick actions to handle well the aftermath, an emergency statement from the Foreign Ministry said.

China's ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang, along with other staff, rushed to the university to help rescue the injured students and look for the missing, and went to the hospital to console the injured students, the statement said.

So far, 13 Chinese students have been missing and 40 injured in the fire, according to the Chinese embassy in Russia. And the Chinese victims were still being identified.

At least 36 people were killed and 170 injured in the fire, according to the latest reports.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway, said the Foreign Ministry statement.

The fire broke out in a dormitory of the university at about 2:50 am local time (2250 GMT Sunday). The blaze spread to the second, third, fourth and fifth floors of the building where some 280 students from 106 countries study, and engulfed an area of over 1,000 square meters.
 

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)