The death toll from the fire at a shopping center in Sterlitamak has risen to four.
According to Baza, three sisters were among the dead: they arrived to the Solnechny shopping center to buy a birthday present for my mom. They were 27, 29 and 33 years old.
The identity of the fourth victim is currently being established.
The preliminary cause of the fire is a short circuit. The Investigative Committee has already aroused criminal case of causing death by negligence.
According to surviving employees of the shopping center, the fire happened In the clothing department on the second floor. For an hour, people smelled a pungent burning odor but couldn't locate the source of the fire. The fire suppression system was malfunctioning.
The publication "Beware of the News" сообщаетthat the last fire safety inspection in the shopping center took place five years ago.
"Solnechny" was one of the most popular shopping centers in Sterlitamak, especially among retirees. The ground floor sold groceries (fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and confectionery), while the second floor housed clothing, shoes, furniture, and a hair salon. The third floor housed plumbing stores and an accounting office.
Eyewitnesses report that during the fire, people were unable to evacuate themselves and were screaming and calling for help. The driver of a nearby truck drove up to the burning building before firefighters arrived and used a ladder to rescue several people.
Those on the third floor, where the stairs didn't reach, had to jump from the windows: one of the victims suffered broken ribs.
Some people ran out of the building with their clothes on fire and suffered burns.
The fire has now been contained to an area of 2100 square meters.
UPD
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, five people died and 11 were injured in the shopping center fire.