Moscow  - At least 25 people were killed in a fire at a retirement home in north-western Russia on Saturday.

Authorities said the exact number of people injured and rescued from the fire in the region of Komi was unclear as rescue operations were still ongoing.

Russian state television however reported that the fate of 23 people was not known and that three had been rescued.

The cause of the fire was not yet known. Devastating fires with high casualty numbers are common in Russia, where firefighting equipment is either lacking or obsolete. (dpa)