IRKUTSK, November 16 - Seven mutilated bodies have been discovered in the Irkutsk Region in Siberia, a local police official said Wednesday.

The police found bodies of three men and four women in the debris of a charred house near the town of Cheremkhovo, 90 miles from Irkutsk.

"All the bodies have knife wounds and we consider this a criminal case," the official said.

The identities of the victims, aged 15 to 50, have yet to be established. The police are conducting an investigation.
sections: Society, Accidents, Region News
areas: Siberian region