Poland has opened an investigation into rescue efforts in the country's deadliest fire in nearly three decades that killed 22 people, the interior minister said on Tuesday.

Six children were among the dead from Monday's blaze that gutted a three-storey building occupied by homeless families in the northwestern town of Kamien Pomorski. One of the 77 residents at the hostel was still missing.

Investigators were still looking into the cause of the blaze, and have not ruled out arson.

"I have asked for a special commission to investigate how the rescue efforts were conducted," Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Grzegorz Schetyna was quoted as saying by news agency PAP.

Twenty people were hurt in the blaze. Most of the injuries were burns and broken bones after many of the residents leapt out of windows to avoid the raging fire.

Some of the survivors criticised the fire brigades that arrived on the scene for not doing enough to rescue people living in the building.

Schetyna said firefighters arrived less than three minutes after receiving the first emergency call made shortly after the fire started.

The blaze, which quickly consumed the communist-era building, raised questions about the state of Poland's social housing. Some survivors had said one emergency exit was blocked from inside the hostel.

"We want to be certain that a tragedy like in Kamien Pomorski does not happen in the future," Schetyna said. "These buildings are systematically inspected, but we want to present the reports for these building to the public."

The incident prompted President Lech Kaczynski declared three days of national mourning.


Reuters

Güncelleme Tarihi: 14 Nisan 2009, 16:30