Children's farewell message for help in fire that killed 64 people in Russia
Many children cried for help and sent final messages to their families as they faced dire situations in a fire that killed at least 64 people in Russia on March 25.
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| Black smoke rises from inside the Winter Cherry shopping mall in Russia. Photo: AFP |
The death toll from the Winter Cherry shopping mall fire has risen to 64, Russia's Investigative Committee said. An estimated 11 people are still missing, down from the previously reported 16.
According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, as of now, at least 48 people have been confirmed dead in the fire at the Winter Cherry shopping mall in the Russian city of Kemerovo on the afternoon of March 25, including 11 children. In addition, about 16 cases are still missing, but the chance of finding survivors is low after many hours of searching efforts by rescue forces. At least 48 people were injured in the fire, including 12 cases being hospitalized.
There has been no official announcement from Russian authorities about the cause of the fire. However, initial information indicates that the fire is believed to have started in the children's play area. A child accidentally brought a lighter and set fire to a trampoline, which then spread to other areas. At the time of the fire, many children were present at the Winter Cherry shopping center - which has a cinema, shops, a children's play area, a shopping mall and a zoo.
Yesterday afternoon, a group of students from a school in the village of Terescevsky in the Kemerovo region went to the cinema in Winter Cherry. This was also the “center” of the fire when the fire raged inside the shopping center. In the emergency situation, some trapped children called their parents and sent messages to relatives and friends on social networks.
Farewell message
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| Images of some victims of the fire in Russia. Photo: RT |
A screenshot posted on the Russian social network Vkontakte shows the text messages of a 13-year-old girl who was in the shopping mall at the time of the fire. She was also listed as missing online after the fire.
“We are in a fire. Maybe this is goodbye,” the girl wrote.
Another girl named Vika, 12, was able to talk to her aunt when the fire broke out at the Winter Cherry shopping center. However, according toDailymail, Vika's condition is still unknown after the fire. Another girl, Maria Moroz, 13, was also found missing with her mother and friends at the cinema where Vika was trapped. Meanwhile, a mother said all five of her children were inside the shopping mall and are still missing.
“At 4:11 p.m. I called my niece Vika. She told me: ‘Everything is on fire. The doors are closed. I can’t get out. I can’t breathe,’” said Vika’s aunt Evgenia.
“I told her: ‘Vika, take off some clothes, cover your nose.’ Then she said to me: ‘Auntie, tell our family that I love you very much. Tell my mother that I love her very much,’” Evgenia said. After that, the call ended and Evgenia still does not know whether her granddaughter is still alive.
According to Ms. Evgenia, the school holidays had just begun and the entire class of 10 students, accompanied by 2-3 parents and a teacher, were all present at the Winter Cherry shopping mall.
“The teacher left the children at the cinema and went with the parents to the shopping mall. So all the adults survived,” said Evgenia.
Chaos scene
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| Sergey Moskalenko, 11, jumped from a shopping mall window during the fire. Photo: Siberian Times |
Witnesses said there were no fire alarms or loudspeakers at the time of the fire. People ran away in panic and many parents tried to grab their children’s hands but could not see clearly due to the thick smoke and toxic gases.
“It was terrible. A normal day off. The whole family decided to go to the movies. During the movie, the door suddenly burst open and someone shouted: Fire, fire. We didn’t hear any alarms. The crowd rushed to the only exit. Black smoke filled the children’s playground and the cinema hall. We couldn’t breathe. Many children were crying,” Annazare4neva wrote on social media.
“I was at the indoor skating rink with my kids. There was a fire near the children’s train, which was only 5 meters away from the skating rink. I heard people running and then I saw the fire. I shouted “Run”, then grabbed my daughter who was still on her skates and ran downstairs. On the second floor, I helped her change her skates and we ran outside. When I got out of the building, I saw a teenager climbing out of the window. There was no fire alarm, no automatic fire suppression system. The doors on the first floor, which were supposed to lead to the street, were locked,” Ivan said, recounting his escape from the fire at the shopping mall.
Russians break door to escape fire at shopping mall
Anna Zarechneva, who was present at the mall at the time of the fire, filmed the incident and posted it on Instagram afterwards, describing the chaotic scene she witnessed.
“We went to the mall but things were not going well. We had to leave because of the fire. On the third floor, where the cinema was, everything was dark and filled with smoke. People were panicking, children were crying,” Anna wrote on Instagram.
Images on social media showed people jumping from high-rise windows to escape the fire. Others hid in bathrooms and used wet towels to cover holes in the doors while waiting for rescuers. Meanwhile, firefighters had difficulty accessing rooms due to the high temperatures.
Following the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The Russian leader also instructed Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to fly to Kemerovo to deal with the tragedy.