Russian Shopping Mall Fire Leaves 37 Dead
At least 37 people have died after a fire erupted at Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping center in Kemerovo, Russia, with an additional 27 people missing. Of the 64 dead or missing 40 of these are said to be children.
The fire is believed to have started yesterday in one of the cinema halls, and spread throughout the shopping complex destroying more than 1,000 square meters or the center. Approximately 120 people were evacuated from the shopping center, with more than 300 fire fighters and rescue personnel assisting in bringing the 6-hour long fire under control.
“This shopping centre on several floors was packed with people mid-day Sunday. No one knows exactly how many people there were inside when the fire broke out,” an official within the local Russian emergency services ministry said, adding “Where to look for people? How many are there? That has greatly complicated the work of the firefighter.”
