In Sterlitamak, the Solnechny shopping complex (TC) caught fire, there were casualties and injuries. According to preliminary data from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, 17 people were evacuated from the building.
According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the number of victims has increased to nine people. Four people did not survive, four more were hospitalized. The fire spread over an area of 2,100 square meters. As of 15:00, the open fire was extinguished. Extinguishing is complicated by the complex layout of the shopping center, its design features and high fire load.
People had to jump from the windows of the building to escape
The fire occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 22, on the second floor of a four-story shopping complex on Kommunisticheskaya Street. Due to heavy smoke, those inside had to find ways to escape on their own.
According to the Mash Telegram channel, the alarm system did not work during the fire, and the corridors of the building were lined with cabinets, which made movement difficult. Some visitors and employees tried to escape through the windows. Cars with stepladders were driven up to the building, and people on the street stretched blankets to help those who were jumping down.
Local residents told Beware the News that they said firefighters arrived about half an hour after the call. “If they had arrived on time, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. They just arrived half an hour later. In addition, they could not lift their hoses,” said one of the eyewitnesses.
Meanwhile, official services continue to establish all the circumstances of the incident. 47 people and 16 pieces of equipment are involved in extinguishing the fire.
What is known about the possible cause of the fire?
According to preliminary information from the Shot Telegram channel, the cause of the fire could have been a short circuit. Now experts are identifying the source that could have triggered it on the second floor.
Sellers who worked in the complex told the channel that before the fire they smelled a strong burning smell for about an hour, but could not determine where it was coming from. Shot also clarifies that the fire extinguishing system in the building may have been faulty.
As Caution News learned, the Sterlitamak Ministry of Emergency Situations conducted a fire safety inspection of the Solnechny shopping center five years ago - in October 2021. “The reason is the expiration of the deadline for the controlled person to fulfill the decision to eliminate the identified violation of mandatory requirements,” the channel’s post says.
The shopping complex itself was a large facility with a large number of visitors. On the first floor there was a food market, on the second there were clothing and furniture stores, a hairdresser, and on the third floor there were plumbing stores and offices.
Three sisters who went to the shopping center to buy a gift for their mother did not survive the fire.
Later, details about the Russians killed in the fire became known. The Shot channel reported that three sisters became victims of the fire: 29-year-old Elizaveta, 33-year-old Victoria and 45-year-old Elena. According to preliminary information, the women came to Solnechny to choose a gift for their mother. Her birthday was in three days. The eldest of the sisters had her own studio in the same shopping complex.
Later it became known about the identity of the fourth victim. According to Shot, 51-year-old Elena came to Solnechny to buy goods. Before this, the woman was vacationing in Sochi with her husband and 19-year-old son, and last week the family returned home.
Meanwhile, according to the Bashkortostan Ministry of Health, there are three women and a 16-year-old teenage girl in the hospital. One of the women is in serious condition in intensive care. The condition of the remaining victims is assessed as moderate. In particular, a 27-year-old girl who jumped from a third-floor window was hospitalized.
Meanwhile, according to Baza, the teenager is 17 years old. The channel also clarified her condition. It was reported that the girl fell into a coma. She suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning and fractures. During the fire, she helped bring a visitor out of the fire. Now doctors are fighting for her life.
After the fire, a criminal case was opened
The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for causing death by negligence of two or more persons. Investigators and forensic scientists are working at the scene. After the inspection, it is planned to order examinations that will help establish the cause of the fire and the circumstances of death.
The investigation will also evaluate the actions of those persons who were responsible for compliance with fire safety requirements in the shopping complex. The prosecutor's office organized a corresponding check.
