Six people, including a child, died in a fire in a 5-storey apartment in Minsk, the capital of Belarus that started at 03:30 at local time.

As the fire grew in a short time, firefighters quickly evacuated more than 20 people trapped in the building in a short time.

Belarusian Ministry of Emergencies stated that 3 casualties who were exposed to smoke inhalation were taken to a hospital.

The Investigative Committee of Belarus reported that 3 of the dead were poisoned by smoke and that burns were detected on the bodies of the others.

Extinguishing works were completed towards the morning with more than 70 rescue teams and nearly 20 fire trucks.

An investigation into the incident has been initiated.