13 killed in Russian club fire

Firefighter vehicles next to a fire at a cafe in Kostroma. Pic/AFP

At least 13 people died after a fire broke out in a busy nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma, officials said on Saturday. The fire took place in the early hours of the morning at Polygon, a multi-purpose recreation venue used as a cafe, nightclub and bar.

Rescuers said 250 people were evacuated from the building. State media cited investigators as saying the fire started after a man fired a flare gun indoors, setting the ceiling alight. Police have now detained a man in connection with the incident, the interior ministry said.

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"After firing a flare, decorative elements on the ceiling caught fire and the fire began to spread instantly. Very quickly, the room began to fill with acrid smoke and the evacuation exits were difficult to see. There was pushing and panic," sources reported. Most of those killed in the fire had been found in the smoking room, utility room and near the toilets.

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