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Russia fire: Children caught in deadly Kemerovo mall blaze | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
At least 48 people have died in a fire that tore through a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo. | |
A further 27 people are missing and as many as 41 children may be among the victims, Russian officials say. | |
The blaze started on an upper floor of the Winter Cherry complex while many of the victims were in cinema halls. | The blaze started on an upper floor of the Winter Cherry complex while many of the victims were in cinema halls. |
Video posted on social media showed people jumping from windows to escape the flames on Sunday. | Video posted on social media showed people jumping from windows to escape the flames on Sunday. |
Some 660 emergency personnel have been deployed in the rescue effort. | |
The cause of the blaze is not yet known but authorities have launched an investigation. | The cause of the blaze is not yet known but authorities have launched an investigation. |
Kemerovo, a key coal-producing area, lies about 3,600km (2,200 miles) east of Moscow. | Kemerovo, a key coal-producing area, lies about 3,600km (2,200 miles) east of Moscow. |
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has offered his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as did Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. | Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has offered his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as did Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. |
Where did the fire start? | Where did the fire start? |
As well as cinema screens, the complex, opened in 2013, includes restaurants, a sauna, a bowling alley and a petting zoo. | As well as cinema screens, the complex, opened in 2013, includes restaurants, a sauna, a bowling alley and a petting zoo. |
The fire is believed to have started at around 17:00 (10:00 GMT) in a part of the building that contains the entertainment complex, local media report. | The fire is believed to have started at around 17:00 (10:00 GMT) in a part of the building that contains the entertainment complex, local media report. |
"According to preliminary information, the roof collapsed in two cinemas," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. | "According to preliminary information, the roof collapsed in two cinemas," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement. |
Yevgeny Dedyukhin, deputy head of the Kemerovo region emergency department, said the area of the fire was about 1,500 sq m. | Yevgeny Dedyukhin, deputy head of the Kemerovo region emergency department, said the area of the fire was about 1,500 sq m. |
"The shopping centre is a very complex construction," he said. "There are a lot of combustible materials." | "The shopping centre is a very complex construction," he said. "There are a lot of combustible materials." |
What do we know of the victims? | What do we know of the victims? |
Russian officials had initially given a figure of 64 people missing but later clarified that this included victims whose remains had not been identified. | |
At least nine of the bodies found so far are of children. | |
Andrei Mamchenkov, deputy head of Russia's National Crisis Management Centre, said 41 children were not accounted for. | |
Emergency services finally reached a cinema hall on the third floor after being obstructed by smoke and the danger of collapsing masonry, an unnamed source told Russian news agency Interfax. | |
They found no bodies inside but fear people may have been buried under rubble. | |
Another source told the agency there was practically no chance of finding survivors. | Another source told the agency there was practically no chance of finding survivors. |