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Photo by the Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service.
06 Nov 2022

13 dead in a nightclub fire in Russia

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At least 13 people were killed on Saturday in a nightclub fire in the Russian city of Kostroma.  According to CNN, officials initially believed the fire was started by fireworks set off inside by one of the club guests.

Later this week, the BBC wrote that it was determined the fire started by a flare gun, which an intoxicated customer set off on the dance floor.

"The fire reportedly spread when parts of the lighting rig on the ceiling ignited, quickly filling the room with smoke. It took several hours for it to be extinguished", says the BBC in their Nov 6 article, which also shows a video of local Russian firefighters tackling the blaze. 

According to a statement from the Russian Investigative Committee, a suspect has already been detained: 

“As a result of complex operational-search measures, police officers identified and detained a suspect in an unlawful act in one of the entertainment establishments in the city of Kostroma, which caused a fire and death of people. Currently, the suspect has been handed over to the investigating authorities,” the statement said.

The fire at the Polygon club allegedly started 2:00 a.m. local time on Saturday night, November 5,  (23:00 GMT) in Kostroma, 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Moscow.

The exact number of people inside the club at the time is not known, but 250 people were evacuated, according to the BBC. 

At least five other fires have broken out at various restaurants since the start of the year, according to the international news bureau Reuters. Two of these incidents resulted in deaths.

156 people were killed after a fire broke out at the Lame Horse nightclub in the city of Perm In 2009. This led to demands for tougher fire safety laws in Russia. 

Photo Credit: (Above) The Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service.