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Russian shopping malls to undergo checks after deadly fire in Siberia

The prosecutors will pay special attention to the alarm and fire-extinguishing systems

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office has ordered fire safety checks at all shopping malls with entertainment centers across the country in the wake of the deadly blaze in the Siberian city of Kemerovo.

The checks will be carried out jointly with the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional departments. The prosecutors will pay special attention to the alarm and fire-extinguishing systems and if any violations are found will take immediate steps to ensure the problems are solved.

The fire at the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) shopping mall in central Kemerovo erupted on Sunday on the top floor of the four-storey building engulfing an area of some 1,500 square meters. According to the latest data, 64 people were killed, many of them children, and more than 40 others sought medical assistance. A criminal investigation has been launched.