World

30 feared dead in Russian shopping center fire

Associated Press
Published | Updated

March 11, 2015: Firefighters extinguish a fire at a shopping mall in Kazan, 450 miles east of Moscow, Russia. One of Kazan's largest shopping malls and adjoining kiosks in the city's Kirov district have been heavily damaged by the blaze that raged for hours on Wednesday. (AP)

March 11, 2015: Firefighters extinguish a fire at a shopping mall in Kazan, 450 miles east of Moscow, Russia. One of Kazan's largest shopping malls and adjoining kiosks in the city's Kirov district have been heavily damaged by the blaze that raged for hours on Wednesday. (AP)

March 11, 2015: Firefighters extinguish a fire at a shopping mall in Kazan, 450 miles east of Moscow, Russia. One of Kazan's largest shopping malls and adjoining kiosks in the city's Kirov district have been heavily damaged by the blaze that raged for hours on Wednesday. (AP)

Russian emergency officials say five people are confirmed dead and 25 more are missing and presumed dead after a shopping center in the city of Kazan collapsed in a fire.

Officials said Thursday that the toll of missing is based on reports from relatives and workers in the shopping center, 450 miles east of Moscow.

Forty people were injured in the blaze.

Regional emergency services head Igor Panshin was quoted by the Tass news agency as saying "the hope of finding survivors under the shopping center debris has been abandoned."

The cause of the fire that began Wednesday has not been determined.