At least 28 foreign students including Chinese were killed and over 100 others were injured in a fire at a university in Moscow in the early hours of Monday, Russian news agencies reported.

The fire broke out at about 2:50 a.m. Moscow time (2250 GMT Sunday) in a dormitory of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University, which is an old-fashioned five-story house on the Miklukho-Maklai Street, Interfax quoted Moscow fire police serviceas saying.

The number of deaths is increasing. Reports said that the victims are supposed to be nationals of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam without giving exact figures for casualties of each country.

The blaze was burning on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors of the building, where some 280 students from 106 countries study, and has engulfed an area of over 1,000 square meters, according to Itar-Tass.

Some 200 students were evacuated from the building in the southwest of Moscow. The total victims may exceed 50 but it is impossible to tell the exact figure now, said firemen.

Some of the injured students were poisoned by carbon monoxide and others got injured while trying to get out of the burning building, Interfax quoted a member of a rescue team as saying.

A number of students broke their limbs or suffered injuries to their spines and heads when they jumped out of windows.

Survivors have been sent to hospitals.

The blaze was extinguished at 05:40 Moscow time (0240 GMT) and scores of fire fighters are continuing working at the site.

Investigations into the causes of the fire is underway. Firemen did not rule out the possibility of arson.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2003)