At least 15 people were killed in a fire that broke out in a bar in the Russian city of Kostroma,
about 350 km northeast of Moscow, according to Tass, which cites a source of the emergency services.
About 250 people were evacuated from the building, as well as 15 residents of a nearby apartment building.
According to preliminary information, the
fire may have been caused by fireworks and searches are underway for a person who fired a flare gun inside the bar.
State television showed images of the Poligon bar, located in a logistics center, engulfed in flames.
Authorities said the fire broke out around 2:00 local time (midnight in Italy) and was put out around 7:30 this morning.
The first death toll was 13, but the emergency services later reported that two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble
As for the alleged perpetrator of the fire, Russian police announced that they had arrested a man this morning.
"Police officers have identified and arrested the suspect of illegal acts in an entertainment venue in the city of Kostroma, which resulted in a fire and the deaths of people
," police announced in a statement.
The man "was handed over to the investigating authorities," he added.
