At least 13 people died in an overnight fire at a nightclub in the Russian city of Kostroma, and police arrested a man suspected of starting it by firing a flare gun. Video released by investigators on Saturday showed firefighters spraying water on what appeared to be the roof of the collapsed building. The fire broke out at the Polygon, a multi-purpose entertainment venue used as a cafe, nightclub and bar. “As a result of the fire, 13 people lost their lives. The number of dead and injured is being clarified,” the Judicial Investigation Committee said in a statement. TASS news agency cites investigators as saying the fire may have started after a man fired a firearm indoors. Testimony suggested the man may have become enraged after his advances were rejected. “He was spending time in the bar with a woman, he ordered her flowers, with a pistol in his hands,” an unnamed witness told the Russian news agency. “Then he went to the track and shot it.” Russian police arrested a suspect [Russian Emergencies Ministry in Kostroma via Reuters] Rescuers evacuated 250 people from the building, while more than 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. The fire was extinguished at 7:29 am. (04:29 GMT), according to the governor, who put the number of injured at five. Kostroma, a city of about 270,000 inhabitants, is located 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow on the banks of the Volga River. In 2009, someone set off fireworks at the Lame Horse nightclub in the Russian city of Perm, killing more than 150 people.
