Governor resigns after fatal mall fire

THE governor of Russia’s Kemerovo region, where a fire in a shopping centre killed at least 64 people, resigned yesterday.

“I submitted my resignation letter to the Russian president,” Aman Tuleyev said in a three-minute video address released by his office.

Mr Tuleyev, who had been at the helm of the Siberian coal-mining region since 1997, said he could no longer remain at his post with “such a heavy burden” and added that his resignation was “the only right choice”.

At least 64 people – including 41 children – died when a huge fire ravaged a mall in the industrial city of Kemerovo last Sunday.

The tragedy, which saw some families practically wiped out, plunged Russia into shock.

Many people who lost relatives have said they died because of the inaction of firefighters and police, who lacked the necessary equipment and skills. Mr Tuleyev himself came under heavy criticism for failing to visit the scene of the tragedy in the days following the blaze, or meet with angry relatives.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, initially refused to sack the 73-year-old governor, despite protests in the city.

Officials have said that multiple safety rules were violated, the fire alarm system was not working and staff did not follow the correct emergency procedures.

Six people have been arrested, including the head of the regional construction inspection agency when the shopping centre was first developed, and the general director of the company that owns the mall.

But distrust in the promise of a thorough investigation is strong.

“They’re not telling us the truth,” Olga Begeza, a local resident, said.

“Nobody saved the children – they abandoned them. It seems our lives don’t count for anything.”