A mother and two sons killed in fire in southern Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- A fire engulfed a two-story house in a village in southern Kazakhstan's Almaty Region on Saturday, leaving a mother and two children dead, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

The fire broke out at around 1:00 a.m. (1900 GMT Friday) and was eliminated in less than two hours.

"When the firefighters arrived, the house was almost completely burnt. Three half-burnt bodies were found: a 34-year-old mother and her two sons -- 5 and 11 years old respectively," the ministry said.

An investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway.

The ministry said on Tuesday that over 40 people have died in fires across Kazakhstan in the past two months.