Ukrainian officials say at least 15 people were killed after a blaze tore through a nursing home in the eastern city of Kharkiv.

Nine people were rescued and were receiving treatment in hospital, the State Emergency Service said on January 21 , while Prosecutor-General Iryna Venedyktova said 11 people were injured.

Venedyktova said a criminal investigation had been launched and the preliminary cause of the tragedy was the “careless handling of electric heating devices.”

The emergency service said the fire broke out at around 3 p.m. on the second floor of the two-story building while there were 33 people inside.

It published a photo of the building with bars on the windows of the first floor, while smoke billows out of broken windows on the second floor.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP