The fire in Russia's Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University caused severe casualties including Chinese students, of whom 34 were injured and 17 were missing, Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed in Beijing Monday.  

The ministries of foreign affairs and education attach great importance to the issue and demand the Chinese embassy in Russia and other concerned departments to take quick actions to handle well the aftermath, an emergency statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

China's ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang, along with other staff, rushed to the university to help rescue the injured students and look for the missing, and went to the hospital to console the injured students, the statement said.

As of 5:00 p.m. Beijing Time, 17 Chinese students were missing and 34 were injured in the fire, according to the Chinese embassy in Russia. And the Chinese victims were still being identified.

At least 32 people were killed and 139 injured in the fire, according to the latest reports.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

The fire broke out in a dormitory of the university at about 2:50 a.m. local time (2250 GMT Sunday). The blaze spread to the second, third, fourth and fifth floors of the building where some 280 students from 106 countries study, and engulfed an area of over 1,000 square meters.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)