PUTIN SAYS FIRE WAS ‘CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE’

MOSCOW - Hundreds of people are protesting in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, angry at Russian officials over the leisure complex fire that killed at least 64 people, 41 of them children.

President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kemerovo earlier and blamed "criminal negligence" for Sunday's blaze.

Some protesters questioned the official death toll, as some social media reports suggested many more had died.

Investigators say the fire alarm was switched off and exits were blocked.

Interfax news agency reported that some 300 people rallied outside the local government headquarters yesterday, demanding that officials be sacked over the fire safety shortcomings.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Russia's Investigative Committee has spoken of "serious violations" at the Winter Cherry mall.

President Putin also expressed indignation over the disaster though he did not speak to the crowd.

"What is happening here?" he said, after laying a wreath. "This is no battle or an unexpected methane outburst in a mine."

"People, children came to relax. We are talking about demography and are losing so many people because of what? Because of criminal negligence, sloppiness."

The Investigative Committee says a fire safety technician at the complex "switched off the alarm system" after being alerted about the fire.

It said a criminal investigation had begun.