A court sanctions the arrests of several staff at the incinerated mall in Kemerovo

A regional court in Kemerovo has sanctioned the arrest of the security guard at the “Winter Cherry” shopping center who is being blamed for mishandling the mall’s fire alarm system. The guard, Sergey Antyushin, ignored the first notification he received on his computer, when the fire started, and then failed to activate the building’s main fire alarm system, saying he panicked when he realized what was happening.

He's not alone. Antyushin isn’t the only one from the Kemerovo disaster now behind bars. A local court also arrested Nadezhda Suddenok, the shopping center’s director. Police have detained another three people working at the mall on charges including negligent homicide, failure to obey fire safety requirements, and offering services that fail to meet safety standards.