Police in Russia are now investigating the mall fire that killed at least 64 people in the city of Kemerovo in southwestern Siberia.
The fire, which started on Sunday morning, is the most devastating in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
According to Reuters, dozens of children are believed to be amongst the dead.
And the worst part of all? It may have been totally avoidable.
Violent fire in Russian mall in Kemerovo
It was a day like any other at the ‘Winter Cherry’ shopping mall in Kemerovo, southwestern Siberia.
There were hundreds of children and adults at the mall, which featured a cinema complex, bowling alley, various forms of entertainment for kids and an abundance of restaurants.
Soon enough, however, the day would become a nightmare.
The mall was packed full of people when a fire began to spread rapidly. The roof of the complex collapsed before firemen could reach the higher floors.
Despite firefighters doing all they could to halt the flames, the fire claimed 1,500 square metres in very little time. As it did so, firemen and other rescue personnel risked their lives to get people out of the building, with dangerous smoke and gases turning the center into a toxic hell. Minister Vladimir Pushkov has explained how extreme temperatures made certain areas of the building inaccessible.
Last moments
A total of 64 people have so far lost their lives as a result of the fire, according to Russian authorities. However, many bodies are badly burned and so difficult to identify, so that toll could yet rise.
Six people are still missing, and many of the victims are young children. According to Reuters, a number of children trapped inside the cinema sent messages via SMS, or called parents as they sought to get out.
13-year-old Maria Moroz was one of these children. Her last words have been revealed by Russian media, as she texted: “We are on fire….”
“Looks like this is farewell from me.”
There are also children suffering from injuries sustained as they jumped from the windows.
Emergency exits blocked
As per reports, the shopping center – formerly a cake factory – had few doors and certainly not enough windows for a building of its size.
At the moment there are several theories as to how the fire might have started. Apparently the fire alarms in certain areas may not have been working, meaning many people were given a late alarm.
Sadly, a number of bodies have been found in the cinema, where the doors and emergency exits were closed and possibly locked. Investigators are also suggesting that exits may have been illegally blocked, causing obstructions for people trying to flee quickly.
“Serious violations took place when the mall was being built and when it was functioning. The fire exits were blocked,” Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for the committee, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Anna Kuznetsova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, said that the fire was caused by incompetence. She went on to suggest that all similar shopping centers in the country be checked immediately.
Dad tried to save daughters
Father Alexander Lillevjalis told newspaper Meduza that he and his wife Olga lost their three daughters to the blaze – one was just 5, while the other two were 11.
According to Lillevjalis, one of the girls called to tell him that there was smoke everywhere and they couldn’t get out because the doors were locked.
Heartbreakingly, he explained how he led firemen up the stairs, before they were ordered to move on to another area.
The father asked to borrow one of the firemen’s smoke masks to go in himself, but he was refused.
“My daughters were left to burn because of their bloody rules,” he said to Meduza newspaper.
“Tell mom I loved her”
12-year-old Vika Pochankia actually spoke on the phone to her aunt, Evfeniya Oganisyan, whilst she was trying to escape.
Her aunt has since relayed her niece’s words, spoken before the phone cut out: “‘Auntie, tell all my family I love them. Tell mum that I loved her…”
Four people have been arrested by Russian police, including two employees of the company responsible for fitting the mall’s fire alarms.
This tragedy once again shows the importance of taking security seriously. No one should have died because of an accident like this.
I hope those responsible get a fitting punishment, and that the relatives of the victims find some peace, though nothing can bring back their loved ones.
Rest in peace to all those who lost their lives in this tragedy!
