38 people have died in a fire at a psychiatric hospital near Moscow. Most of the dead were patients who were trapped inside the building behind barred windows.

One of the nurses managed to get two of her patients out but no one else survived.

The nurse told reporters that she was woken up by the fire alarm, and ran into the hallway where she saw a chair burning. She remembers seeing a flash.

The fire started around 2:30 am Moscow Time (22:30 GMT) in Psychiatric Hospital 14 in Ramenskoe. By the time fire rescue arrived the entire one-story building was engulfed in flames.

The fire started in a wing for special treatment patients.

Reports say some of the dead are thought to have been under the influence of tranquillisers. It is believed that bars on the windows of the building may have prevented patients from climbing out to escape.

The state-run news agency RIA Novosti told reporters that heavy smoke is hampering efforts to recover bodies from the destroyed one-story building.