Russia - Massive fire in shopping mall, up to 100 dead - 25 Mar 2018

[MelmothTheLost]

Up to a hundred feared dead in Russian mall blaze as it is revealed the family of boy who jumped from 40ft window to escape are missing, presumed dead, in 700C inferno blamed on foam play centre mats

Dozens of children remain missing and feared dead today after an appalling shopping mall fire in Russia.

The latest official death toll from the Kemerovo inferno in Siberia is 64 with 47 injured and many still unaccounted for.

Unconfirmed reports in Kemerovo said at noon local time (6am UK time) that at least 96 bodies have been found in the mall, many of them children, after it was extinguished.

The children were reportedly burned alive in a furnace of up to 700C.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5543953/Up-feared-dead-Russian-mall-blaze.html

I couldn't see another thread about this event but Mods pls merge if I've missed one.

 

[katydid23]

Oh my God. This is so sad. What a tragedy. How did so many die?

 

[Jax49]

https://www.rt.com/news/422289-children-missing-kemerovo-mall-blaze/

[h=1]64 dead, bodies remain trapped under rubble after shopping mall fire in Russia’s Kemerovo[/h]

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Oh my God. This is so sad. What a tragedy. How did so many die?

Reports of doors to the cinema being locked to prevent gate-crashing, no fire alarms or sprinklers, a labyrinthine building converted from a Soviet era factory, very few windows from which people could have escaped, the speed of the fire which started in the soft play area (candles + inflammable foam), the fact that so many of those there were children, etc.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

An investigative committee tasked with finding out why dozens of people ended up dead in a blaze in Russia has revealed that a security guard switched off the fire alarm at a mall.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5543953/Up-feared-dead-Russian-mall-blaze.html

I'm not sure I believe that. Given how devastating the fire was and the building now considered unsafe, this has the feel of scapegoating to me. Of course it may turn out to be true, but it seems very quick for such a claim to be made based on a thorough investigation.

 

[jjenny]

Oh my God. This is so sad. What a tragedy. How did so many die?

Sounds like an old factory building was turned into a shopping mall. It wasn't designed for that purpose. You can see from the photos the building has very small windows. So there wouldn't be many avenues to escape. Doesn't look like much attention was paid to fire safety either.

 

[jjenny]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5543953/Up-feared-dead-Russian-mall-blaze.html

I'm not sure I believe that. Given how devastating the fire was and the building now considered unsafe, this has the feel of scapegoating to me. Of course it may turn out to be true, but it seems very quick for such a claim to be made based on a thorough investigation.

They already detained four people and are discussing whether to arrest this guy next.

"The issue of detention of the fifth suspect, a PSC employee who turned off an alarm system after receiving a signal about the fire, is being discussed. Serious violations were committed both during the shopping center's entry in service and in the process of its work. Fire exits in the shopping center were blocked," the spokeswoman said, as quoted in the committee's Telegram channel."
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201803261062896122-fire-russian-shopping-center/

 

[MelmothTheLost]

They already detained four people and are discussing whether to arrest this guy next.

My point is that this is Russia, one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. There may well have been bribery involving systematic violations of building codes and all sorts of other underhand doings which the local politicians won't want ending up on their own doorsteps. In many parts of Russia the local politicians are the same ones who were in power during the Soviet era and their tactics and activities are more or less unchanged.

Scapegoating a few lowly locals to deflect blame from them and their cronies is exactly the sort of thing they would do.

 

[jjenny]

One thing doesn't affect the other. There seem to be serious issues with fire safety in the building, which they seem to be readily admitting. That doesn't mean that the security guard didn't turn off the fire alarm.

 

[MOTORUNNER]

How devastating, I can't even imagine.

 

[thepinkdragon]

This is unconscionable. There is no reason in this day and age for such shoddy disrespect for life. Corruption and greed are the bane of this world. I am physically sick.


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[DexterMorgan]

Its probably terror related as well. But so many people are mad with Russia that they just cant point to 1 group for intentionally starting a fire in a vulnerable building. Idk. Because accidents happen as well. But I still wouldn't discount a possible intentional attack neither. Jmo

 

[jjenny]

Not everything is terror related. In this case there is no suggestion anything is terror related. They remodeled an old factory into a mall and didn't seem to be too concerned with fire safety. Apparently they were also using candles for children's parties. They have a number of theories of what could have started the fire and none of it has anything to do with terrorism.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Its probably terror related as well. But so many people are mad with Russia that they just cant point to 1 group for intentionally starting a fire in a vulnerable building. Idk. Because accidents happen as well. But I still wouldn't discount a possible intentional attack neither. Jmo

I've not seen anything to suggest the fire was set deliberately. The eye witness accounts say it started in the soft play area where candles had been lit for some sort of event. Fire + foam padding that doesn't meet Western safety standards are a tragedy waiting to happen.

 

[jjenny]

I've not seen anything to suggest the fire was set deliberately. The eye witness accounts say it started in the soft play area where candles had been lit for some sort of event. Fire + foam padding that doesn't meet Western safety standards are a tragedy waiting to happen.

One of the theories is that it was set deliberately (arson) but by teenagers playing with a lighter, not specifically to induce terror. There is also a theory that it was caused by electrical issues, or by candles, or even pyrotechnics used at a party. The leading theory seems to be electrical problems.

"Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, said that the fire was likely caused by a short-circuit or, less-likely, arson."
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/two-days-after-kemerovo-mall-fire-heres-what-we-know-so-far-60958

 

[gregjrichards]

This is unconscionable. There is no reason in this day and age for such shoddy disrespect for life. Corruption and greed are the bane of this world. I am physically sick.


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It is hard to believe but Russia is a developing nation in a lot of ways. The economy there is in a bad way with only a small minority being extremely wealthy. The buildings etc are built to a poor standard and the safety regulations are virtually non existent. I'm surprised this kind of tragedy doesn't happen more often. It was very and horrifying to see human beings jumping out of a building on fire it brought back images of 9/11.

 

[Kankan]

How horrible and senseless.

 

[jjenny]

It is hard to believe but Russia is a developing nation in a lot of ways. The economy there is in a bad way with only a small minority being extremely wealthy. The buildings etc are built to a poor standard and the safety regulations are virtually non existent. I'm surprised this kind of tragedy doesn't happen more often. It was very and horrifying to see human beings jumping out of a building on fire it brought back images of 9/11.

It's not like such things don't happen in other countries, specifically US. There is thread going on this board about warehouse fire, where fire safety apparently wasn't a priority either.

 

[gitana1]

It's not like such things don't happen in other countries, specifically US. There is thread going on this board about warehouse fire, where fire safety apparently wasn't a priority either.

These things happen far more often in nations with lax safety laws and rampant corruption. Russia indeed is not a developed nation and it has an exceedingly corrupt political system.

Everything can be bought off. The mall/theater owners were likely much more concerned with the possibility of people sneaking into the theater and depriving them of money than they were actual safety and people's lives.

 

[dara_]

Russia is undoubtedly a developing country with difficult economic situation, but everything isn't bad as the media say about it. In shopping malls as a rule there are fire alarms. This case is terrible for its exclusivity.Russia took this tragedy very seriously. All over Russia there are rallies. People want to obtain the resignation of the governor of the Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev. And that's right, this man told terrible things to Putin at the meeting. He apologized for what happened and said: "On the sorrow of people - all opposition forces at the moment arrived." so many people died, he talks about the opposition ... monster
Russian government afraid most of all people's anger and activation of the opposition. I'm glad that people are finally tired of corruption and went on strike. Putin's regime tortured everyone for too long. But it will end with nothing...