Seven Chinese students have been confirmed killed in early Monday's deadly dormitory fire at a Moscow university, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang said Wednesday.

Forty-three Chinese students are undergoing medical treatment in 11 Moscow hospitals while three others have already been discharged, Liu said in an interview with Xinhua. The embassy staff on Tuesday visited the students in hospital and brought daily necessities to them, he noted.

Still, several Chinese students are still listed as missing, he said, adding that embassy staff continued their endeavor to find out their whereabouts.

He did not rule out the possible increase of Chinese victims.

Among 88 Chinese students, who were on the official list of dormitory residents, thirty have not suffered, he noted.

A huge fire broke out on Monday at about 2:50 a.m. Moscow time (2350 GMT Sunday) in a dormitory of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University, killing at least 37 foreign students from more than 20 countries and regions.

The latest victim was an 18-year-old man from Peru, who died Wednesday morning, Russian Interfax news agency said, citing medical sources.

Nearly 200 victims remained hospitalized. Some survivors were in grave conditions with spinal injuries.

Russian authorities have launched a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.

Police indicated that the fire was mainly caused by careless use of electric appliances or appliance malfunction, particularly due to an operating electric heater.

Close

Today's Top News		Top National News
+Separatist law bound to draw strong response ( 2003-11-27) +Illegal demolitions put under wrecker's ball ( 2003-11-26) +7 Chinese killed in Moscow fire ( 2003-11-26) +Poor told to surrender dogs or get off welfare ( 2003-11-27) +Northeast China gets helping hand ( 2003-11-26)		+Illegal demolitions put under wrecker's ball ( 2003-11-26) +The forest or the trees? ( 2003-11-27) +Separatist law bound to draw strong response ( 2003-11-27) +WHO: Work together for SARS vaccine ( 2003-11-26) +Northeast China gets helping hand ( 2003-11-26)