DUSHANBE, March 13, 2015, Asia-Plus — The number of Tajik nationals killed in the Kazan shopping center fire has risen to six.
Tajik migration service agency’s office in Moscow reports two of the bodies found amongst the debris yesterday afternoon were identified as Tajik nationals Shokir Homidov and Asadullo, who was a salesman at the perfume department.
We will recall that at first four dead victims were identified as Tajik nationals. Two of them – Qosimjon Tourayev, 43, and Hikmatullo Haytullokhon, 23 — are residents of the Roudaki district and two others – Emomali Riyoyev, 30, and Alisher Davronov, 18 – are residents of the Yovon district.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry early on March 13 raised the confirmed death toll from the fire at the Admiral shopping center in the city of Kazan to nine after finding more bodies amongst the debris.
Russian media sources report authorities on March 13 were continuing to search for more than 20 people feared to have died and been buried beneath rubble after fire raced through the Admiral shopping complex on March 11 in Kazan.
At least 55 other people, including two police officers and two rescue team members, were seriously injured after the fire raced through the Admiral shopping center in Kazan, capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Autonomous Republic, on March 11.
The fire reportedly started in a first-floor cafe adjoining the Admiral center and more than 600 people were cleared from the building.
Part of the center collapsed and emergency officials said that 16 people were being treated in hospital.
A security guard had initially tried to extinguish the fire himself and it took some time before the fire brigade was called, reports said.
Although the fire has been put out, an area of 4,000 square meters was razed to the ground.
Business owners who had broken through a police security cordon to save their goods from the fire were feared to be among those trapped in the rubble, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
Five hundred riot police were sent to seal off the center to stop people entering the building, it said.
