MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials say the death toll from a recent nightclub fire in the Urals city of Perm has risen to 148.
The Health and Social Development Ministry said in a statementDec. 15that 81 people still remain hospitalized with injuries from the fire. It said that 23 of them are in critical and 44 in serious condition.
The blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub broke out on Dec. 5 when an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling. The flames spread as hundreds of customers tried to flee through a single exit.
Five people, including the club’s owner, have been jailed pending an investigation.
The fire was Russia’s deadliest since the Soviet era. Russian leaders have urged a broad review of fire regulations and urged tougher enforcement.
