MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian fire chief has been suspended along with five subordinates, in the aftermath of a nightclub fire that has now claimed 119 lives.
And Russian authorities say the inspection records for the club appear to have been falsified.
The fire in the city of Perm broke out early Saturday when an indoor fireworks display ignited the plastic ceiling -- which had been decorated with wooden branches.
As the fire spread quickly, hundreds of customers tried to flee through a single exit.
More than 100 people were hospitalized, some with severe burns, and more of them died today, increasing the death toll.
Russian leaders are calling for a review of fire regulations, and urging tougher enforcement.
Four people, including the club's co-owner and manager, have been arrested.
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<<APPHOTO MOSB101 (12/08/09)>>
: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin places flowers for victims at the site of a night club fire tragedy in downtown in Perm, about 1,200 km (700 miles) east of Moscow, early Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. Authorities said more than 100 people died and over a hundred were injured. The fire tore through the popular Lame Horse night club in Perm late Friday, after fireworks set a suspended plastic ceiling ablaze, filling the crowded club with thick black smoke.
