This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

At least five people including a child died in the Russian city of Perm when a broken heating pipe flooded their hotel rooms with scalding water, investigators said.

The accident happened on Monday in a small private hotel in the basement of a block of flats in the industrial city in the Urals region.

“At least five people died and a further three were taken to hospital with burns,” said the Investigative Committee, which looks into major incidents.

Those who died were all staying at the Karamel hotel, which has five single and double rooms, according to its website.

The hotel did not have an emergency exit while the water pipe that burst dated to 1962, the building’s managing company said.

Hot water is piped under streets at a high temperature to supply homes in Russia and when these pipes burst, the scalding water and steam can cause fatal accidents, with cars sometimes plunging into holes that open up in roads.

Investigators have opened a criminal investigation into the alleged provision of dangerous services to consumers.