Russians Grieve As At Least 53 Killed In Siberian Shopping Mall Fire
'Glaring Violations' Cited As Russian Shopping Mall Fire Kills 64
Last Updated:
-
Blocked fire exits, a shut-down alarm system, and "glaring violations" of safety rules exacerbated the human toll of a fire that swept though a busy Siberian shopping mall, killing 64 people as panicked visitors jumped from windows and banged on doors in an attempt to escape, Russian investigators say.
An Investigative Committee statement (http://sledcom.ru/news/item/1212857/?print=1) on
"Investigators have already received evidence pointing to glaring violations that led to such grave consequences," the statement from committee spokeswoman
Four people have been detained for questioning, including the heads of the company that managed the shopping center and the company that rented the space where the fire is believed to have started, the committee said. (http://sledcom.ru/news/item/1212670/)
A senior emergency official said on state TV early on
"An 11-year-old boy who jumped out of a fourth-floor window to save his life is the only survivor of his whole family. His mother, father, and a younger sibling all died," Health Minister
Videos posted on social media showed a man leaping or falling to the street after climbing out a window and another man inside the building, trying to break down a door in a stairwell as flames and smoke filled the area.
Kemerovo region Governor
The Investigative Committee said the blaze appeared to have started in a hallway at a multiplex cinema in the shopping mall and that the "roof collapsed in two theaters in the cinema."
Other officials, however, said that it was not clear where the fire started or what caused it.
The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed local official source as saying it was probably caused by a short circuit, but other accounts said the cause could have been arson or an accident.
Regional Deputy Governor
On
The committee said about 120 people had been evacuated from the 1,500-square-meter shopping center, which is called Zimnyaya Vishnya (
On
"This shopping center on several floors was packed with people midday [on
Kemerovo is an industrial city and the capital of a coal-producing region of the same name.
With reporting by Current Time TV, AP, Reuters, the
Pleasantville, New Jersey, Teacher And Sewell, New Jersey, Salesman Admit Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
A.M. BestTV Series Highlights Blockchain in Insurance: ‘It Opens Up a Whole New World’
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News