A firefighter trying to extinguish the fire at a greenhouse southeast of Moscow on January 7, that killed eight Vietnamese workers. —FreeMalaysia Today/VNA Photo

MOSCOW — Eight people who died in a fire at a greenhouse in Moscow have been identified as Vietnamese nationals, a Russian deputy minister confirmed on Tuesday night.

Representatives from the Vietnamese embassy told the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Moscow that they are working with local authorities to identify the victims and ready to take citizen protection measures if necessary.

Russia’s Tass news agency reported that the fire started at around 5am on Tuesday in the district of Ramenskoye, southeast of Moscow, and spread across an area of 240 square metres.

The blaze killed eight migrant workers, including seven men and a woman, who lived in one of the metal trailers where the fire initially broke out.

Another woman was injured and is receiving treatment at a hospital.

Acting deputy emergencies minister Anatoly Suprunovsky believed all the victims were Vietnamese nationals who were not registered as residents in Russia, according to Tass.

The Ministry of Emergencies initially thought the deceased were citizens of Tajikistan.

Formal identification of the victims is yet to be confirmed.

Suprunovsky also said that faulty wiring might have caused the fire.

The Investigative Committee for the Moscow Region said that investigators and forensic experts were now examining the scene, reported Tass.

According to Interfax, investigators opened a criminal case into negligent death. — VNS