Russian police on Saturday arrested a man suspected of causing a huge fire overnight at a bar in the city of Kostroma, killing at least 15 people.
Firefighters fought into the early hours to put out the blaze at the popular Poligon bar in the city, some 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
Russian authorities previously reported that the fire may have started after a drunk man fired a “flare gun” at the dance floor.
“Police officers identified and arrested the suspect (behind) unlawful acts at an entertainment establishment in the city of Kostroma, which resulted in a fire and the death of people,” Russian police said in a statement.
“He has now been handed over to the investigative authorities,” she added, without giving any further details.
Russia’s investigative committee opened a criminal case for “negligence of death.”
State television showed images of the bar, which was housed in a one-story logistics center and engulfed in flames.
According to authorities, the fire started around 2:00 a.m. local time and was extinguished around 7:30 a.m.
Governor Sergei Sitnikov previously said 13 people were killed, but emergency services then said the remains of two others had been found.
“Two other bodies were recovered. This means the number of victims is now 15,” TASS news agency quoted law enforcement sources as saying.
Around 250 people were evacuated from the building when it caught fire, authorities said earlier.
– Flare gun on the dance floor –
The TASS news agency, citing emergency services sources, said a drunk man with a “flare gun” likely caused the fire.
“He was hanging out with a woman in the bar, ordering her flowers, with a flare gun in hand,” the agency source said.
“Then he went onto the dance floor and fired it.”
Local emergency services said the fire had spread over 3,500 square meters.
On its website, Poligon says it functions as a “place for recreation and entertainment” in the evenings and nights.
During the day it’s a typical Russian “Stolovaya” – a casual restaurant with traditional cuisine.
It is said to be housed in a “distribution center” and popular with the traffic police.
State television showed images of dozens of rescue workers battling the inferno that engulfed the building.
The sign “Poligon” could be seen amidst the flames raging on the roof.
A firefighter told regional state television that it took 50 people to put out the fire and that they deployed 20 fire engines.
He said the fire was particularly difficult to put out because of the risk of the building collapsing.
Kostroma, a city on the Volga with around 230,000 inhabitants, is one of the oldest cities in Russia and is famous for its medieval architecture and monasteries.
Russia, where safety regulations are often lax, has seen a string of fatal fires at entertainment venues in recent years.
In 2018, a major fire at a shopping center in the Siberian city of Kemerovo killed 60 people.
In 2009, another nightclub fire in the Ural city of Perm killed 156 people.
