Parents watched in despair as their three children perished in the fire.

People lay flowers in memory of the victims at Winter Cherry shopping center. Photo: AFP

"Our children burned while we just stood there watching," said Olga Lillyevyali, who rushed to the building in the Siberian city of Kemerovo when the fire broke out on the afternoon of March 25.

According toTelegraph, her three daughters, 11-year-old twins and a 5-year-old, were taken to the movies by their father. An hour later, Alexander Lillyevyali received a phone call from one of the girls, who said she was trapped behind locked doors while the fire spread. Alexander immediately covered his nose with a wet towel and ran up the stairs to look for her.

Russian media quoted locals as saying that cinemas here have locked their doors to prevent people from entering the cinema without paying.

"I started crawling but I realized I had no strength left," said Alexander. "I had inhaled so much smoke that I was about to pass out. My daughter kept calling me. All I could do was scream into the phone to tell her to come out."I tried to get out of the theater but I couldn't do anything. The fire was right in front of me."

Alexander turned and pleaded with the rescuers who were coming to save his children. They initially followed him but were then asked to move to another part of the building.a house. Alexander begged them to lend him a gas mask, but they refused, saying it was against the rules.

"My daughters were burned alive because of their rules," the father cried in pain.

The fire killed 64 people, creating Russia's worst disaster in nearly three decades. Thirteen of the 25 victims have been identified as children.

Maya Yerokhina, a young girl from the city of Kazan, believed to be among the victims, posted on social network Vkontakte desperate words while trapped in the fire: "It's over".

The fire is believed to have started on the fourth floor of the building, in the trampoline room, and quickly spread, creating large plumes of black smoke. According to witnesses, mall staff did not organize people to evacuate the building, which was a former candy factory that was converted in 2013.

Some were quick to blame Russia's fire inspectorate, accusing it of taking bribes to overlook violations at the Winter Cherry center.

Relatives cry in pain at the memorial corner for the victims who died at Winter Cherry. Photo: TASS

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation after confirming that fire exits were locked and the fire alarm system was switched off by a security guard shortly after the fire broke out.

Four people were arrested and questioned by police yesterday, including the director of the company that operates the fire alarm system and the technical director of the company that owns the shopping mall.

Many people placed flowers and candles in memory of the victims on the charred remains of the shopping center. A piece of paper left there read: "Please forgive us."