Forty-one children were killed in Russian mall fire
Forty-one children were killed in a fire at a shopping centre complex in Kemerovo, Russia, local media has said.
Both the RIA and Interfax news agencies reported the figure, saying a list of victims had been made available to relatives.
It came as thousands of residents held a rally in the city, demanding a full inquiry into what happened.Protesters, many of them in tears, claimed authorities had been hiding the true death toll and that the number killed was higher.
One of them shouted: "Why don't they tell us the truth?" A placard read: "How many victims are there really?"
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a visit to Kemerovo, said earlier that "criminal negligence" was behind the blaze that killed 64 people in the Siberian city.
Witnesses reported fire alarms were silent and many doors, including those to a cinema, were locked.
The head of Russia's Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, told Mr Putin the doors may have been closed to stop people without a ticket from getting in.
"Most of the staff ran away and left parents and their children to their fate," he said.
Mr Putin, who has announced that Wednesday will be a day of national mourning, laid flowers in tribute to the victims, though it is not known whether he has spoken to those affected.
His comments, aired on state television, came after investigators said a security guard had turned off the public address system and fire exits had been illegally blocked.
Mr Bastrykin told Mr Putin the mall's fire alarm system had been out of order since 19 March. A search is under way for the security guard.
Mr Bastrykin said five people had been detained.

Comments
Post a Comment