38 dead in fire at Kazakh drug clinic

TALDYKORGAN, Kazakhstan, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- A fire at a Kazakhstan clinic for drug addicts killed at least 38 people early Sunday, officials said.

The emergencies ministry said another 40 people were rescued from the clinic in Taldykorgan, the Russian Novosti news agency reported. The city is the administrative center of Almaty Province in southern Kazakhstan.

The fire spread quickly through an area of 650 square yards. It was contained an hour after it was reported.

Karim Masimov, prime minister of the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, has ordered an investigation.