1 dead, 21 hospitalized in central Odesa college fire

A college building located in central Odesa caught fire in the morning of Dec. 4.

A 43-year-old teacher was killed in the fire, and 21 people have been hospitalized at the time of publication. More than 40 people were evacuated from the building.

Of those hospitalized, at least six were underage students. Six firefighters have also been hospitalized.

Witnesses reported on social media that several people had to jump out of the windows to save their lives.

Fire brigades and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after the building started to burn. The fire started on the third floor of the six-story building situated at the intersection of Pushkinska and Troyitska Streets in Odesa.

The fire spread quickly, first taking over 700 square meters and then 2,000 square meters.  The cause of the latest fire remains unknown.

The building that caught fire is occupied by the local Economics, Law and Hotel Management College. The building was built in 1914 and is known in Odesa as “Asvadurov’s revenue house.”

Odesa’s mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov visited the site of disaster.

More than 60 firefighters and 16 special vehicles helped extinguish the fire, according to the Emergency service of Ukraine report.

Odesa has a reputation for the dangerous state of its buildings. On Aug. 17, 2019, Odesa’s Tokyo Star hotel burned down completely, killing eight people.

On Sept. 15, 2017, a children’s camp also burned in Odesa, taking the lives of three girls.