16 die, scores injured in apartment building fire in Azerbaijan capital; probe launched
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Azerbaijani officials say 16 people have died and more than 50 have been injured in a fire at an apartment building in Baku, the capital.
The massive fire quickly engulfed 16-story apartment building Tuesday and took hours to contain.
Azerbaijan's chief prosecutor, Zakir Garalov, said the bad quality of plastic paneling covering the building contributed to the fire and a criminal probe has been launched to determine the culprits.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev took personal control of the investigation.
A similar fire erupted in Baku earlier this month, but there were no injuries.