Hundreds of animals, kept at a petting zoo inside of a mall in Kemerovo, Russia, perished when a deadly fire broke out over the weekend. At least 64 people died inside of the eastern Russian shopping center after the blaze started on Sunday – according to multiple sources, many of the victims are children.
According to CNBC News, the Winter Cherry Mall was packed with families who were enjoying the first weekend of vacation from school – witnesses have claimed that no fire alarms went off and the mall staff was nowhere to be found.
The animals kept at the petting zoo ranged from birds, rabbits and guinea pigs to miniature pigs, foxes, squirrels and more. Yevgeny Videman, the zoo’s director, told TASS that there was no way to save the hundreds of animals who were trapped inside:
“I think they have died choking with smoke. I was the last to leave the premises. There were no humans in. Smoke on the third flood was heavy, people were leaving in panic. I simply closed the door: there was no physical possibility to save the animals. As a veterinarian, I think the animals have choked with smoke. But no one is let inside the building of the shopping mall, it is cordoned off. There was and there is no possibility to evacuate the animals.”
The cause of the deadly blaze remains under investigation.
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So sad. RIP to the many animals perished in the fire. I hope other zoos have evacuation plan to safely remove the animal in such an event as this one.
Who in their right mind has a “petting” zoo inside a shopping mall in the first place. The thought of all those animals dying like that is just horrible. May they all rest in peace, and may the morons that thought a petting zoo in a mall was a good idea, have nightmares the rest of their miserable lives.
I agree with Barkley’s Mom. All petting zoos are outside where at least the lives of these defenseless animals could have been saved. As for the children who perished in this fire trap, where werthe alarms and even sprinkler system in place. So many innocent lives lost that should not have happened.
To just walk out and shut the door and making NO attempt to rescue any of the animals is disgusting – these animals were totally helpless and this asshole was too concerned about his own safety – and to have a petting zoo inside a mall is just another idiotic idea by those whose priority was money – I hope that this maggot who left the animals to die never gets another minute peace – they proved their lack of consideration to those who could not save themselves.
WHY IN THE HELL are there animals in a mall?!?!? There should not be a “petting zoo” left anywhere….animals do not want to strangers petting them in the first place. These zoos are cruel and unusual punishment. RIP sweet animals, at least you are out of the Russian hell hole.
AUTHORITIES…..DO NOT LET THEM HAVE ANOTHER ZOO IN A MALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These animals should not have been there. How tragic.
RIP