UPDATE: Russian soldier arrested for starting nightclub blaze that killed 13

A Russian soldier has reportedly been arrested for starting the blaze that resulted in the death of at least 13 people in a nightclub in the city of Kostroma.

UPDATE: Sunday, November 6 at 4:45am

A 23-year-old Russian soldier has been arrested on suspicion of firing a flare gun that started the nightclub fire that claimed 13 lives in the city of Kostroma. Named as Stanislav Ionkin, he allegedly spent five months fighting in Ukraine. He was reportedly wounded in the leg and subsequently returned to Russia in September.

Alexei Chepa, a State Duma deputy from the Kostroma region, in an interview with the Daily Storm, highlighted the importance of rehabilitating military personnel who returned from the front lines in Ukraine.

“rehabilitation is necessary not only for the military but also for their families. A person who has returned from the front and witnessed certain events must undergo rehabilitation with his family. He needs a certain socialisation”, stressed the parliamentarian. 

He added: “People, especially of different ages, with a developed psyche, find themselves in unusual situations”.

Chepa recalled how veterans of other military campaigns such as the Afghan war of 1979-1989, also had various health problems: “We remember very well how the Afghans began to drink alcohol. This should not be allowed to happen again”.

UPDATE: Saturday, November 5 at 6:45pm

According to a report from the prosecutor’s office in the Kostroma region, during an investigation following the tragic blaze that occurred, fire exits at the Polygon nightclub were found to be locked, as reported by gazeta.ru.

Preliminary information suggested that there was a fight in the establishment before the incident happened. One of the clubbers involved in the brawl then allegedly fired a flare gun, which ignited the fire in the club. The fire spread over an area of ​​3,500m². As the interior became engulfed in flames, the roof collapsed, and people did not have time to get out. 

TASS news agency reported an emergency services source informing them that on top of the 13 deaths, another five people suffered injuries. Most of the bodies of those killed were reportedly found in a smoking room, utility room, and near the toilets.

Saturday, November 5 at 4:19pm

A fire in a nightclub in the city of Kostroma in western Russia this evening, Saturday, November 5, resulted in the death of at least 13 people. It is believed that fireworks being let off caused the blaze. According to the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the suspect has already been identified and arrested by the police.

#BREAKING https://t.co/rNqFZq7cN5

— RawNews1st (@Raw_News1st) November 5, 2022

In a statement from the Russian Investigative Committee, it said: “As a result of the fire, 13 people died; the number of dead and injured is being clarified”.

It explained: “As a result of complex operational search measures, police officers identified and detained a suspect in an unlawful act in one of the entertainment establishments in the city of Kostroma, which caused a fire and death of people. Currently, the suspect has been handed over to the investigating authorities”.

The incident occurred at around 2:30am local time in the city’s Polygon nightclub. Around 250 clubbers had to be evacuated from the premises, as reported by rawnews1st.net.

A call for tougher laws to prevent his type of incident appears to have gone unheeded. As reported by Reuters, since the start of 2022 there have been at least five serious fires in restaurants across Russia, two of which resulted in deaths.

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