Europe

Some 25 missing after fire in Russian shopping centre

Officials fear many may still be under rubble in aftermath of blaze in Kazan

Members of the Russian emergency services working in the ruins of a shopping centre in Kazan. Officials say some 25 Russians are missing following the blaze. Photograph: Russia’s Emergency Ministry/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the Russian emergency services working in the ruins of a shopping centre in Kazan. Officials say some 25 Russians are missing following the blaze. Photograph: Russia’s Emergency Ministry/AFP/Getty Images
Thu Mar 12 2015 - 16:29

Some 25 people may still be under the rubble of a shopping centre that caught fire in the Russian city of Kazan, the head of the regional emergencies ministry said.

The blaze reportedly broke out on Wednesday in a first-storey café in the centre, sending flames high into the air and killing five people.

Igor Panshin, head of the regional emergencies ministry, was quoted as saying: “Around 25 people have not gotten in touch [with their relatives].”

Emergency workers continued to clear away rubble at the site. Local media said about 200 people had been evacuated from the building in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan region.

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Reuters