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About 15 malls closed in Russia since start of prosecutor’s checks

Mass checks of fire safety are underway in shopping malls following the fire in the Zimnyaya Vishnya mall in Kemerovo, which killed 64 people

© Alexandr Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Up to 15 shopping malls have been closed after the start of a prosecutor’s investigation in Russia, spokesman for the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office Alexander Kurennoy said in an interview with the Govorit Moskva radio station.

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"Some shopping malls have already been ordered to be closed before violations are removed. There are several of them, dozens, about 10-15," he said. "I cannot name the regions, but there may be some in the Urals area. Probably, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk," Kurennoy added.

The investigation of all Novosibirsk shopping malls has revealed 30 centers in which fire safety requirements were violated. The absence of any signs and cluttered evacuation routes, as well as flammable objects, along with failed fire extinguishing and alarm systems, were named among the most widespread violations. Mass checks of fire safety are underway in shopping malls and children’s centers, children’s facilities and other mass gathering places following the fire in the Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping mall in Kemerovo on March 25, which killed 64 people, including 41 children.

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