Families in Kemerovo say the co-owner of the mall that burned down, killing 60, hasn't followed through on a promise to pay compensation

When a fire burned down a shopping center in Kemerovo on March 25, killing 60 people (including 40 children), one of the mall’s co-owners, Denis Shtengelov, promised to pay 3 million rubles ($48,675) to each of the families that lost people in the blaze. According to Igor Vostrikov, whose entire family died in the fire, Shtengelov still hasn’t paid out a kopeck, though the regional government has followed through on 1-million-ruble ($16,230) compensations.

Vostrikov says the government money was deducted from state employees, though spokespeople for the governor’s office insist that these single-day wages were donated “voluntarily.” Regional officials say the government and Shtengelov finished paying out compensations on May 10.