Chuvashia cinema fire kills 26 at Russian shopping mall

Blaze engulfed third floor of Maxima entertainment complex in Chuvashia, Russia

21 children among victims as authorities open criminal probes

A fire at a shopping centre in Russia engulfed the third floor of the Maxima entertainment complex, killing at least 26 people, including 21 children, according to regional investigators.

The blaze broke out at the complex in the city of Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan, on Saturday night.

Investigators said that the fire started in a foam pit filled with polyurethane cubes in the complex's children's play area, before spreading rapidly through the building.

The fire was extinguished early Sunday morning but the building was badly damaged.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the fire, and is investigating possible violations of fire safety regulations.

The committee said that the building's fire alarm system was not working properly and that there were no sprinklers in the building.

The fire is the deadliest in Russia since a blaze in a shopping centre in Kemerovo in 2018 killed 64 people.

President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the victims' families and ordered the government to provide assistance to those affected.

The fire has raised questions about the safety of public buildings in Russia.

In the wake of the fire, the Russian government has ordered an inspection of all shopping centres in the country.

The government has also announced plans to tighten fire safety regulations.