House Fire Kills Nine In Russia

MOSCOW (AP) -- A fire swept through a home in Russia's Urals region, killing nine people, local police said Saturday.

The fire tore through the private home overnight in Chekunovo in the Sverdlovsk region. The dead included two children, said a duty officer with the local police.

Fire investigators said a short-circuit was the likely cause. The investigation was continuing.

Russia records about 18,000 fire deaths a year _ roughly 10 times the rate in the United States and 12.5 times higher than in Britain.

Experts say fire deaths have skyrocketed since the end of the Soviet Union, in part because of lower public vigilance and a disregard for safety standards.