At least 15 people died in a fire in a bar. Kostroma, about 300 kilometers from Moscow. Russian police arrested a man suspected of starting the fire on Saturday.
The Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement that it “identified and detained a suspect in connection with an illegal act that caused a fire and the death of people in one of the nightclubs in the city of Kostroma.”
Russian news agencies said the fire at the bar “Polygon” may have started when a drunk man lit a torch on the dance floor.
The district governor, Sergei Sitnikov, initially reported that 13 people were killed and five injured, but rescuers later reported that the bodies of two more people were found.
“Two new bodies have been discovered. This means the total number of victims is now 15,” a source from the security services told the Russian news agency Tass.
The Investigative Commission of Russia announced that a “criminal case” had been opened for “the negligent death of two or more people” and stated that “inspectors” and “forensic doctors” were sent to the scene.
Citing emergency sources, a drunk man “was with a woman at a bar and offered him flowers while holding a flare,” according to the Tass agency.
According to this source, “He then went to the dance floor and lit a flare”. Police did not provide details about the detainee.
250 people
Dozens of firefighters and emergency responders battling the massive fire that consumed the one-story building in footage broadcast on state television.
The “Polygon” sign, the name of the place, was seen among the flames on the roof.
Local emergency services said they received their first warning of the fire at around 02:00 local time, and the flames burned 3,500 square meters.
According to Governor Sitnikov, the fire was put out at 07:30 (01:30 GMT).
Local officials said 250 people were evacuated from the establishment after the flames broke out.
Polygon describes itself on its website as a typical Russian “stolovaya” – a restaurant serving traditional cuisine that doubles as a bar and nightclub at night and is popular with workers – and states that it is located in a “distribution centre”.
A firefighter told regional state television that 50 people and 20 fire trucks were needed to put out the fire.
Located on the banks of the Volga River and with a population of about 230,000, Kostroma is one of the oldest cities in Russia and is famous for its medieval architecture and monasteries.
In March 2018, 60 people, including 40 children and teenagers, died in a fire in a shopping mall in the Siberian town of Kemerovo.
In 2009, 156 people died in a big fire in a nightclub in Perm, Urals.
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© Agence France-Press
source: Noticias
