UPDATE 1 – Fire breaks out at shopping mall in Siberia, killing at least 37 people

Photo of author

By BNO NEWS

A fire has broken out at a shopping mall in the Russian city of Kemerovo, killing at least 37 people and leaving nearly 30 others missing, local officials say. Many of the victims are believed to be children.

The fire, which began at about 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, is believed to have started on the fourth floor of the Winter Cherry mall, which is home to a three-screen movie theater, a skating rink, and a play area for children.

Thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the complex and could be seen across the city. One man was seen jumping from a window on the fourth floor in an attempt to escape the blaze, but it was not immediately known if he survived the fall.

More than 660 rescue workers responded to the site and firefighters worked for hours to extinguish the blaze. High temperatures and the building’s instability are hampering the search and rescue operation, according to the emergencies ministry.

Local authorities said on early Monday that 37 people, including at least 9 children, were confirmed to have died, but the death toll is expected to rise as 27 others remain unaccounted-for. 47 people have been treated for injuries.

Most of the victims are believed to be children, some of whom posted to social media while they were trapped inside the burning building. One official said 41 children between the ages of 2 and 17 are either dead or missing.

The cause of Sunday’s fire was not immediately known.

(Copyright 2017 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.)

Images Courtesy of DepositPhotos