TheCable

At least 15 people have been reportedly killed following a fire outbreak at a popular Poligon bar in the Russian city of Kostroma.

Kostroma is a city of around 270,000 people, 300 km (190 miles) north-east of Moscow on the banks of the river Volga.

Earlier, Sergei Sitnikov, regional governor, said 13 people lost their lives, but emergency services later found the remains of two other people.

According to Reuters, the fire took place in the early hours of Saturday morning at Polygon, a multi-purpose recreation venue used as a cafe, nightclub and bar. 

Rescuers said 250 people were evacuated from the building.

The fire was said to have been started after a drunk man fired a “flare gun” on the dancefloor, the Tass news agency reported.

State television showed images of the bar, housed in a single-storey logistical centre, engulfed in flames. Authorities said the fire started at about 2 am local time and was put out at about 7.30 am.