Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

At least 64 dead in shopping mall fire in central Russia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Flames rise from the Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping center in Kemerovo, where at least 64 people have died.
Flames rise from the Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping center in Kemerovo, where at least 64 people have died.
Danil Aikin

Updated at 4:20 p.m. ET

At least 64 people have died in a massive fire at a shopping center in central Russia, while others remain unaccounted for, a Russian official confirmed Monday.

NPR's Lucian Kim, reporting from Moscow, says many children are thought to be among the dead.

The fire — among the deadliest in years in Russia — has been extinguished, emergency officials said, but rescuers were having difficulty reaching the upper floors of the building because of a roof collapse.

#

According to news reports, the alarm system did not work and some fire exits were blocked. Television footage showed people trying to break down jammed emergency exits and some jumping out of windows as black and white smoke billowed from the Winter Cherry shopping complex, Reuters reports.

#

The Moscow Times quotes Russian news agencies as saying more than 100 people were evacuated from the building in the city of Kemerovo, in Kemerovo Oblast, a coal-producing region about 2,200 miles east of Moscow.

TASS and Interfax said more than 100 people had been evacuated from the burning mall, which contains cinemas, restaurants and shops.

There was no immediate indication of the cause of the fire.

However, Reuters said: "Russian state investigators said four people had been detained over the fire, including the owners and leasers of outlets inside the shopping mall. The Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said it was trying to bring in the mall's principal owner for questioning." Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Correction (2018-03-26 04:00:00 UTC):

A previous version of this story gave the shopping center's name as Wild Cherry. The correct name is Winter Cherry.