Siberia Mall Fire: Death toll rises to 64, India expresses condolences

New Delhi: The death toll in the shopping mall blaze of Russia in Western Siberia has escalated to 64. Emergency services minister Vladimir Puchkov said on Russian television: "We have recorded that unfortunately as a result of the accident 64 people died." Earlier it was reported that in a massive fire that broke out in the busy shopping centre in an industrial city of Western Siberia, about 3,000 kilometres east of Moscow, at least 53 people were killed while many including, children were reported missing. In an even previous toll 37 were reported dead while nearly 70 were missing, including 40 children. According to Russian media the fire broke out in the Winter Cherry shopping centre in the city of Kemerovo on a Sunday afternoon, in which so far 64 deaths have been confirmed. The mall that has a shopping centre, a multiplex cinema, a bowling alley, and a sauna, had more than regular visitors at the time of the tragedy, because of the weekend. According to reports, the initial findings revealed that the fire broke out in one of the cinema halls and led to collapsing of the roof in two of the halls. As many as 120 people have been rescued from the hall. Still many are missing. A man who was trapped inside the blazing mall,  tried to save himself from the fire by jumping out from the building. The people standing outside the mall saved the person. As many as 300 firefighters were installed to control the fire. India expressed today its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. . Embassy of India said in a tweet that it "expresses its deepest condolences to the families and friends of victims of Kemerovo tragedy".

Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences to the families and friends of victims of Kemerovo tragedy. We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives, including many children. Our prayers and thoughts are with them.@MEAIndia @MID_RF @RusEmbIndia @IndianDiplomacy

— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) March 26, 2018

Deepest condolences on tragic loss of lives in fire in Keremovo mall in Siberia. https://t.co/lbH5GvilLh

— Pankaj Saran (@PankajSaran11) March 26, 2018