Russia11 people, including 10 Uzbekistan workers, were killed when a fire broke out in a wooden workshop in Tomsk, Siberia.

"The bodies of 11 victims have been found," the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said today. According to preliminary information from the authorities of Tomsk, Siberia, 10 of the 11 victims were Uzbek citizens, the other were Tajikistan citizens.

The fire broke out in a one-story wooden house in the remote village of Prichulymsky in the Tomsk region, rented by an anonymous Chinese company and used as a home for sawmill workers.

The authorities assessed that this workshop was not safe for workers and living. Local authorities say the cause is most likely caused by malfunctioning electric heaters. Firefighters took more than two hours to extinguish the fire.

The regional governor went to the scene of the tragedy and ordered units to conduct fire safety checks throughout the area. Russian authorities also opened an investigation into the manslaughter charge for carelessness related to the fire. Uzbekistan officials say they are working to identify and return citizens' bodies.

Location of Tomsk region on Russia map. Graphics: World Atlas.

Millions of Central Asian migrant workers live in Russia, where they often have to do hard work at low wages, in unsafe safety conditions.