At least 64 people, 41 of them children, died when a blaze raged through the busy shopping centre in the industrial city on Sunday, one of the deadliest fires recorded in Russia over the past century

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the mall fire that killed at least 64 people in the Siberian city of Kemerovo on "criminal negligence" as he visited the site two days after the tragedy. At least 64 people, many of them children, died when a blaze raged through the busy shopping centre in the industrial city on Sunday, one of the deadliest fires recorded in Russia over the past century. “What is happening here?”, the Russian president said after laying a wreath at the scene. People, children came to relax," Putin told officials in Kemerovo after laying flowers at a makeshift memorial of flowers, stuffed children's toys and balloons near the gutted mall's facade. We’re talking about demography and losing so many people,” Putin said in a meeting with ministers in Kemerovo. "We are talking about demographics but are losing so many people because of some criminal negligence, slovenliness," Putin said after laying flowers at a makeshift memorial of flowers, stuffed toys and balloons near the gutted mall's facade. The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said the fire alarm system in the mall had been out of order since March 19 and a security guard had not turned on the public address system to warn people to evacuate the building.
President Vladimir Putin visits the scene and declares "criminal negligence" responsible for the high death toll.