Hostel fire kills 13 people in Kazakhstan

A fire at a hostel killed 13 people in Almaty, Kazakhstan, officials said Thursday.

The deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the city's emergency situations department, reports reuters.

"In the course of reconnaissance and extinguishing the fire, 13 dead were initially discovered, their identities are being established," the department said in a statement.

The fire started in the basement of a three-story building housing 72 hostel guests, early Thursday morning. Fifty-nine people managed to escape safely.

According to news website Zakon.kz, four people, including a student from India, needed medical assistance.

Of the victims, nine of them were Kazakhs, two each from Russia and Uzbekistan, the police said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and have set up a special commission._Agencies.