A man from Căușeni town died after his apartment caught fire due to non-compliance with the rules of using an electric blanket. Arriving at the scene, rescuers evacuated 12 people, including five children, from the staircase of the building, IPN reports.

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said that the fire occurred on Wednesday evening, at around 09:30 p.m., in an apartment building located on Ana and Alexandru St in Căușeni. The flames engulfed objects in the apartment. The partially charred body of the 60-year-old man was found in one of the rooms.

The firefighters managed to extinguish the fire in about an hour and a half. Preliminary investigations showed that the fire broke out due to the incorrect use of an electric blanket. All the circumstances are to be established by the competent bodies.

Rescuers urge the people to strictly follow the rules of using electric heating appliances and stoves. The citizens are warned that the use of defective electric hotplates, blankets and heaters is very dangerous and can lead to fatal consequences. Moreover, electrical appliances should not be placed near combustible materials. Also, the citizens are asked to ventilate the rooms where heating appliances and stoves work.

The 1,538 fires that occurred in Moldova so far this year resulted in 92 deaths. Three of the victims were minors.