Fire in 'illegal' Riga tourist hostel kills eight, injures nine

Smoke billows from the hostel where a fire broke out, in Riga, Latvia April 28, 2021. REUTERS/Janis Laizans

RIGA (Reuters) - Eight people died in a fire in an "illegal" tourist hostel in the centre of the Latvian capital Riga early on Wednesday and the city's mayor vowed to shut such accommodation down.

Mayor Martins Stakis said the hostel, set up in an apartment near the city's main railway station, was mainly used by foreigners but it was not clear yet who the victims were.