Death toll in Russia blaze rises to 11

The death toll after a massive fire ripped through a shopping mall in Russia has risen to 11.

Officials initially announced the deaths of a woman and four men after the blaze destroyed the three-storey building in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan and about 800 kilometres east of Moscow.

However, six more bodies had been found, up to 25 people were still missing and it could take several days to comb through the debris, emergency ministry spokesman Andrei Rodygin told RIA Novosti news agency on Friday.

A security guard had initially tried to extinguish the fire himself and it took some time before the fire brigade was called, reports said.

Although the fire has been put out, an area of 4,000 sq m (43,000 sq ft) was razed to the ground.

Business owners who had broken through a police security cordon to save their goods from the fire were feared to be among those trapped in the rubble, Tass news agency reported.

Five hundred riot police were sent to seal off the centre to stop people entering the building, it said.

A total of 650 shoppers were rescued from the centre.

Of those who sought medical help 16 remain in hospital, say regional health authorities.

Friday 13 March 2015

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/europe/2015/03/13/death-toll-in-russia-blaze-rises-to-11.html