With over 240,000 confirmed cases but only 2,212 coronavirus deaths, Russia has one of the world's lowest mortality rates.

The fire was apparently started by an overloaded ventilator in the intensive care unit of the St. Petersburg hospital.

Complaints and reports made to Russian non-governmental organizations spiked from roughly 6,000 in March to more than 13,000 in April, the human rights ombudswoman said.

Two of the doctors have died, while a third is in critical condition with a fractured skull, according to the reports.

Matthew Fisher spent eight years living in Russia. He says it will be the next big lethal nest for the coronavirus.

The Kremlin’s stance of “everything is under control” prompted speculation that authorities might be hiding the scale of the coronavirus pandemic.