Bodies Recovered From Moscow TV Tower Fire

The bodies of two people killed in a fire in Moscow's Ostankino television tower were recovered from an elevator on Monday, according to Russian officials.

Firefighter Vladimir Artyukov and lift operator Svetlana Loseva were found soon after emergency services had won a 26-hour battle to put out the blaze in the world's second-tallest tower.

Officials would not say if they expected to discover further fatalities.

The ministry said the cabin containing the bodies had been seriously damaged after plunging from an unspecified height and as a result it was not immediately possible to identify the bodies.

The lift is currently sitting in a pool of water about seven meters below ground level. It was one of four that carried passengers 350 metres (1,100 feet) up the 540 metre-high tower but the other lifts were found to be empty.

Twice the size of the Eiffel Tower and a once-proud landmark on the Moscow skyline, the smouldering building was listing visibly on Monday prompting fears for the stability of the building.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/