Kemerovo mall fire

The **Kemerovo mall fire** occurred on March 25, 2018 when a fire engulfed the Winter Cherry shopping mall and entertainment complex in Kemerovo, Russia. It killed at least 60 people (more than half of which were children) according to official statements. The blaze started somewhere on the top floor of the four-story complex, and people were seen jumping from windows to escape it. 100 people were evacuated, and another 20 were rescued. Others claim the number of people killed in fire is being covered up, and that the real figure runs into the hundreds.

## Incident

On March 25, at approximately 9:00 AM, a fire started on the fourth floor play area, with the heat of the flames rising to 700 °C (1,300 °F), the heat so high it caused the bouncy castles to burst into flame. Many of the victims were in the mall's three cinemas, where two of the cinema roofs collapsed from the fourth floor into the third.

Several of the victims in the cinemas were children watching *Sherlock Gnomes* to start off the first day of a week-long school break. A survivor from the cinema claimed that those in the cinema heard no alarm, and had to break through one door and jump to safety. Once on the ground, survivors could only see dense black pungent smoke that had filled the children's playground and the other cinema hall. The fire alarm system at Kemerovo shopping mall was switched off by a security guard.

Many children who were trapped in the fire called loved ones and friends to exchange last conversations and information. One deceased child's aunt recounted their conversation during the fire in which the victim stated; "everything burns and the doors are locked in the cinema."

A spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia also stated that the fire exits in the building were blocked during the fire. Tajik shopkeepers saved around 50 people through an alternate exit. Staff and guards of the center were criticized by survivors for not arranging an organized evacuation effort, while some were praised for their efforts. A father of three deceased victims was critical of rescuers, claiming he led rescuers up the stairs, but they turned away after being ordered to go elsewhere and refused to give him a respiratory mask citing regulations. In an interview he angrily stated "My daughters were left to burn because of their bloody rules."

## Victims

* Roman Igorevich Vostrikov, 2
* Uliana Stanislovna Ustinova, 4
* Ksenia "Ksyusha" Moskalenko, 4
* Ratibor Antonovich Mukhin, 5
* Artem Igorevich Vostrikov, 5
* Vasilina Mihailovna Trusova, 5
* Viktoria "Vika" Arkhipenko, 5
* Svetlana "Sveta" Kovalevskaya, 5
* Vlaeria Alexandrovna Lillevyali, 5
* Ylyana Dmitrievna Alimova, 6
* Anna Igorevna Vostrikova, 7
* Arina Dmitrievna Baranova, 8
* Veronika Mikhailovna Trusova, 8
* Arina Igorevna Teslenko, 8
* Anna Vyacheslavovna Bakhaeva, 8
* Mikhail Dmitrievich Galanin, 9
* Igor Eduardovich Kovalevsky, 9
* Konstantin Sergeevich Agarkov, 9
* Artemy Anatolyevich Ivanchik, 9
* Arina Denisovna Sidorova, 9
* Viktoria "Vika" Pochankina, 10
* Vilena Sergeevna Chernikova, 10
* Maria Sergeevna Agarkova, 10
* Vyacheslav Andreevich Nikulin, 10
* Anastasia Alexandrovna Smirnova, 11
* Diana Nizovskaya, 11
* Veronika Andreevna Ponushkova, 11
* Tatiana Alexandrovna Kurchevskaya, 11
* Alexander Grigorievich Kagan, 11
* Maya Alexandrovna Erokhina, 11
* Vadim Olegovich Chmykhalov, 11
* Darya "Dasha" Sarayeva, 11
* Ksenia Aleksandrovna Ananyeva, 11
* Victoria "Vika" Zipunova, 11
* Elizaveta "Liza" Sypko, 12
* Artem Dmitrievich Baranov, 13
* Maria Vitalievna Moroz, 13
* Igor Denisovich Sidorov, 15
* Alyona Igorevna Sabadash, 22
* Anton Grigoryevich Mukhin, 28
* Elena Sergeyevna Vostrikova, 30
* Anfisa Viktorovna Klein, 30
* Stanislav Igorevich Arkhipenko, 31
* Yevgeniy Vyacheslavovich Moskalenko, 34
* Natalia Nikolaevna Ustinova, 35
* Olesya Aleksandrovna Moskalenko, 37
* Tatiana Viktorovna Darsaliya, 37
* Natalia Aleksandrovna Selezen, 38
* Denis Petrovich Sidorov, 39
* Grigoriy Aleksandrovich Kagan, 42
* Yana Vladimirovna Alimova, 42
* Dmitriy Sarkisovich Galanin, 43
* Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Bakhayev, 43
* Irina Vladimirovna Bakhayeva, 44
* Evgeniya Gennadievna Melnikova, 45
* Olga Vladimirovna Fedina, 45
* Igor Yuryevich Teslenko, 51
* Nadezhda Vasilyevna Agarkova, 57
* Marina Ivanovna Baranova, 60
* Nina Ivanova Sukhozad, 68