The Red Cross has collected 14 million rubles ($245,000) in donations for the families of the victims of the deadly shopping mall fire in Russia’s coal-producing region of Kemerovo.
Forty-one children are thought to be among the 60 people killed in the fire that swept through the Winter Cherry shopping center in Kemerovo on Sunday. Russia’s top investigator told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that a short-circuit is among the leading theories of the tragic incident.
The Russian Red Cross announced on Monday that it had started fundraising for the families of the fire’s victims.
Some 14 million rubles had been donated as of early Tuesday, the deputy head of the Red Cross in Siberia and the Urals, Yelena Malakhova, told The Moscow Times.
Regional officials have also started to raise funds for the families of the victims on their official website. The government has pledged to pay the victims’ families 1 million rubles in compensation.
An earlier version of this article stated that 64 people died in the fire, according to Russian authorities. The official death toll was later revised to 60, the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
