House fires claim 16 lives in Mongolia so far in January

ULAN BATOR, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 400 cases of house fires have been recorded across Mongolia since the beginning of January, claiming 16 lives, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Tuesday.

"A total of 413 house fires have occurred across the country since the beginning of this month, killing 16 people, including two children," the NEMA said in a statement.

Broken stoves and chimneys, people's careless actions, leaving children unattended and electrical short circuits were the main causes of house fires, the emergency agency said, urging people to prevent possible fires at their home.