At least 64 people have been confirmed dead following a deadly blaze at a shopping mall in Russias Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo.
At least 10 people were still missing after flames broke out at the four-story Winter Cherry mall in the city of Kemerovo in Siberia, according to Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov.
The fire was extinguished Monday morning after burning through the night. Amid conflicting reports, some have described the source of the fire as the childrens playground, suggesting that the trampoline there caught fire after a child allegedly misused a lighter. Another version suggests that electrical wiring at the playground had short-circuited.
Reports from witnesses have described panic as people realized there was a fire spreading, with many saying on social media that there were no fire alarms or loudspeaker warnings, and that people had to find their own way through the top floor of the mall, which was already filled with smoke. Several hundred people, including many children, were in the mall at the time.
Tragically, some reportedly had left their children unattended in one of the malls cinema halls or at the playground.
The fire, which broke out on Sunday afternoon, was finally contained some 12 hours later, after engulfing some 1,600 square meters. The building sustained severe damage, its roof and floors partially collapsing.
Russian state investigators said four people had been detained over the fire, including the owners and leasers of outlets inside the shopping mall. The Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said it was trying to bring in the centers principal owner for questioning.
Kemerovois located 3,600 km (2,200 miles) east of Moscow.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/9831
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