Nightclub fire kills 13 in Russia

At least Thirteen people were killed when fire broke out in a crowded nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma.

Officials said the blaze broke out at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday in Polygon – an entertainment venue with a bar, restaurant, and large dance floor – after a man shot a flare gun at the ceiling.

Investigators said the police identified and detained a 23-year-old man as a suspect in connection with the incident.

“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 investigators said in a statement said.

Prosecutors have also launched an investigation into the establishment itself, after finding that a number of the evacuation exits were blocked.

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According to rescuers, the fire covered an area of 3,500 square meters and took about five hours to put out.

Rescuers said 250 people were evacuated from the building.

In video footage posted on social media, people can be heard shouting while what appears to be a large cloud of thick smoke expands outwards from a fire on the ceiling.

In 2009, 156 people were killed after a fire broke out at the Lame Horse nightclub in the city of Perm, sparking calls for tougher fire safety laws in a country where deadly blazes happen on a regular basis.

Local officials have declared Monday a day of mourning.

Zainab Sa’id