Another eight people have sought medical assistance after the deadly fire in the shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, bringing the total number of the injured to 76, the operation headquarters told TASS on Wednesday.
"In total, 76 people were injured in the fire, including 27 children," a spokesman said. Fourteen people remain in hospitals, including two children. Another 62 people, among them 25 children, received medical assistance on an outpatient basis.
The bodies of two more victims have been identified. As many as 27 out of 64 people killed in the fire have been identified so far, the head of the Kemerovo Region Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Alexander Mamontov, told reporters on Wednesday.
"Sixty-four people were killed; investigators are carrying out measures to identify the deceased citizens: 27 bodies were identified, and four identified bodies were sent by the Russian investigative committee for further investigation. Fourteen people will be buried today. The subsequent identification procedure will be conducted based on the collected genetic material," he said.
The catastrophic blaze engulfed the Zimnyaya Vishnya (or Winter Cherry) shopping mall in Kemerovo on March 25. The conflagration started on the top floor of the four-story mall, covering an area of some 1,500 square meters. According to recent reports, the ensuing inferno took the lives of 64 people, including 41 children. A total of 27 bodies have been identified.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to declare March 28 a national day of mourning.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the infliction of death by negligence, the fire safety rules violation, and the provision of services failing to meet safety requirements. Five persons have been detained in connection with the case.