• At least 13 people have died in a fire at a nightclub in Kostroma, Russia.
• The incident may have started when an inebriated patron shot a flare pistol into the dance floor.
• A 23-year-old male was detained on suspicion of setting the club on fire inside using a “pyrotechnic” instrument.

At least 13 people have died in a bar fire in Kostroma, Russia. According to Russian media, the incident may have started when an inebriated patron at the nightclub shot a flare pistol into the dance floor.

According to reports, the fire spread when pieces of the lighting setup on the ceiling caught fire and soon filled the space with smoke. It was put out after a few of hours.

A suspect who is allegedly a local resident has been taken into custody.

The fire, which started near Kostroma, 300 kilometers (180 miles) northeast of Moscow, at around 2:00 local time (23:00 GMT), took several hours for emergency personnel to extinguish.

According to Russia’s investigation committee, a 23-year-old male was detained on suspicion of setting the building on fire inside using a “pyrotechnic” instrument.

Additionally detained was the company’s director, who oversees the management of the club.

A law enforcement source was quoted by Tass news agency as claiming that the alleged offender had accepted responsibility.

“He was spending time with a woman, ordering flowers for her while he held a flare gun. Then he went to the dance floor and fired it,” the source said.

250 people were allowed to leave the club, while it is unknown how many people were there at the time.

Russian state media broadcast images of the one-story structure in flames and noted that various safety precautions had not been properly followed.

A local politician owns the corporation that oversees the club.

In the Russian city of Perm in 2009, a nightclub was the scene of 159 fatalities.

[embedpost slug=”tear-gas-fired-as-deadly-sudanese-tribal-clashes-prompt-khartoum-street-protests/”]