Russian Psychiatric Institution Fire Kills At Least 38

VOA ^ | 4/26/2013 | Jessica Golloher

[Selene]

MOSCOW — At least 38 people are dead after a fire quickly spread through a one-story, wooden psychiatric facility north of Moscow. Russian investigators believe that the blaze may have been caused by a short circuit.

Officials say many of the patients, ages 20-76, were heavily sedated due to severe mental issues. Those who were able to wake up tried to escape the flames through the windows, but many of them had bars on them.

[Selene]

and this...WTH?

Parents of Boston bombing suspects have ‘fled their home in Russia’ as mother claims she called an ambulance for her husband - and he is no longer planning to visit the U.S.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3012788/posts

The suspects’ mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaev, told CNN that that her husband, Anzor Tsarnaev, is indefinitely delaying his trip to the U.S. because of health reasons. She claimed she had to call an ambulance for him on Thursday but did not elaborate on what happened.

Zubeidat told Fox News that on Friday he is was planning to go to a Moscow hospital to treat ‘nerves, head, stomach and elevated blood pressure.’

[Viennacon]

Adam Lanza should have been in this hospital, unfortunately the ACLU disapproves of such things.

Much better that be allowed out in the world to plot the murder of innocent children. After all, its the gun’s fault anyway. /sarc

[familyop]

We still need insane asylums again, despite old movies written especially to scare women (those trapped-in-an-asylum films). Just make ‘em fireproof.

[Joe 6-pack]

Talk about synchronicity...I just came off the Great Gatsby thread and was thinking about Zelda Fitzgerald who died (locked in a room) in an asylum fire.

Tragic all around.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[bigheadfred]

Russia is no stranger to disasters. In 2011, more than 10 thousand people died in fires across the former Soviet Union. In the first nine months of 2012, more than 75,000 people died.

75000 seems like a lot but the real message is if you have been drinking vodka do not try to put the fire out by peeing on it

[cripplecreek]

And make it easier for families to involuntarily commit loved ones. (even adults)

Twice over the past couple of years locally, brutal murders have been committed by people who were mentally ill but their families had been unable to have them committed.

Its a sad thing for all involved. One murdered an elderly neighbor in the belief that she had been emanating rays at him and this winter the wife of one of my old schoolmates was murdered by their son who said demons were in his bedroom at night. In both cases the family had tried unsuccessfully to have their sons and brothers committed because one was 26 and the other 19.

[ilovesarah2012]

The Snake Pit. Anyone remember that one?

[familyop]

While growing up, I saw several movies about sane women trapped in insane asylums and can’t distinguish one from another in memory right now. ;-)

[familyop]

Yes, it is sad. Many of the professional folks simply don’t want to keep them in asylums any more. They want to have drugs prescribed and to kick them back into public life.

[Amberdawn]

How terrible. May they rest in peace.

[Amberdawn]

Some asylums needed to be closed as they were horrible places where the mentally ill were warehoused, drugged out of their minds and practically forgotten. There needs to be a middle way where we can identify those in need, commit them and give them a monitor who will ensure they get the treatment they need in a humane way.

[floralamiss]

I was thinking about her death, last evening. Terribly sad.

[Joe 6-pack]

Sad indeed :-(

[JohnBovenmyer]

38 dead now near Moscow. Older folks in the Quad Cities recall 37 died in a psych hospital fire in Davenport, IA in 1950. The story is often retold in the Quad Cities media. I believe it's the worst mass death in area history. All the dead were women, and all but one were patients. The three men there all managed to escape as did 23 women. It was intentionally started by a female patient, who survived. Building was 60 years old, not fireproofed, without sprinklers and with most windows and doors barred.

Sadly I agree chronic institutionalization remains the best option for at least some psychiatric patients, although certainly not the majority. Currently the only PC way to do that is in prison, which requires letting them do something(s) really bad first. MSM refuses to consider that cost. Hopefully research resulting in improved treatment will some day really produce Star Trek's vision of all the remaining hopelessly insane fitting in one small institution, with one of the nuttiest residents oddly resembling Batgirl.

If non-penal psych hospitals were to be restored, granting the genuine lunacy of their residents, and that most probably would be smokers, very stringent building and fire codes and regular inspections should be required. Alas the public never wants to spend much on, nor think much about, such facilities so tragedies would likely continue to occur.

[familyop]

Thanks for the information. I only did general psych. as a general requirement in a university but have had other duties that required working with affected folks at times. Your opinions make good sense.