Russia mourns over Perm nightclub fire victims.

MOSCOW, December 7 (Itar-Tass) -- A day of mourning was declared in
Russia on Monday. The Perm nightclub fire killed 111 young people aged
from 20 to 45 years overnight to Saturday. The death toll may grow, as
tens of severely injured people are undergoing treatment at the hospitals
of Perm, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk. The medics are doing
their best, but refrain from forecasts so far.

The national flags will fly at half-mast, and when the design of the
flagstaffs makes it impossible the flags will be decorated with black
mourning ribbons. Cultural organizations and television and radio
broadcasting companies were offered to cancel entertainment events and
programs.
The federal television channels and radio stations cancelled
entertainment programs last weekend. Entertainment events and commercials
will be also cancelled on Monday.
The Russian television and radio information and analytical programs
will tell the whole world about the tragedy. "We will place an emphasis on
the international support and condolences that the leaders of foreign
countries offered," Voice of Russia Radio spokeswoman Yekaterina Yagunova
noted.
As for private cafeterias, restaurants, nightclubs and discos, their
owners can decide on their night shows up to their moral principles. The
specific Moscow department gave recommendations to the owners of the
foresaid entertainment organizations "to take into account ethical aspects
carefully," the Moscow Mayor's Office said.
Perm will hold the third mourning day and the first massive funerals
of the tragedy victims. The identification of the fire victims was over on
Sunday, the sorrowful list of 66 women and 45 men was posted. It is not
ruled out that the number of funerals will grow, because the mortuaries
began to give the bodies of the fire victims on Sunday, and the relatives
of those dead will decide for themselves when to hold a funeral ceremony,
the regional administration added.
The territorial and municipal authorities decided to allocate 100,000
roubles for the funeral of each fire victim. The Perm and territorial
budgets allocated 12 million roubles for funeral expenses, the Perm
gubernatorial administration told Itar-Tass.
Some 103 injured people were airlifted to the hospitals in Moscow, St.
Petersburg and Chelyabinsk on Saturday and Sunday. The medical specialists
believe the fact that the patients endured the transportation is surely a
positive factor. However, the first few days after being wounded are very
important for patients with sweeping burns, as complications may develop.
Apart from the percentage of the burnt skin, the burn depth is very
important. It depends from these two factors whether it will be possible
to save the life and health of the patient.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development assured that the injured
people are provided with the necessary medical care, medicines, medical
equipment and the donor blood.
According to the ministry, 30 people are undergoing treatment at the
Perm hospitals. Minister of Health Tatiana Golikova noted no more injured
people will be evacuated from Perm.
Russia has lost more than 100 people neither in the hostilities, nor
in a terrorist act, nor in a natural disaster and even nor in a man-made
catastrophe. The unprecedented death toll resulted in criminal negligence
and the violation of the ordinary fire safety rules.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the tragedy resulted from the
absence of "brain and conscience."
The unauthorized use of firecrackers, the non-fulfillment of the
requirements of the fire services resulted in the death of tens of young
people aged from 20 to 45 years.
The president declared mourning for the fire victims, ordered to pool
all efforts to render assistance to the injured people and demanded to
punish without any leniency those guilty. "All that happened cannot be
qualified, but as a crime. Not a premeditated crime, but its consequences
do not become less severe. A great number of people died," Medvedev said.
The Perm territorial investigation department of the Prosecutor
General's Office Investigation Committee (SKP) instituted a criminal case
under Article 219 Part 3 of the Criminal Code (violation of the fire
safety rules that caused death of two and more people through negligence).
Four suspects were already arrested, the SKP source said. The
investigators will bring official accusations against them in the next few
days. It is not ruled out that more suspects may be found.
The results of the expertise are also expected on Monday to give
substantial evidence of what was the reason for the fire. After that the
investigators will establish all injured parties.

.Heavy snowfalls hit Primorye, but cyclone away in Sea of Okhotsk.
(adds)

VLADIVOSTOK, December 7 (Itar-Tass) -- Heavy snowfalls hit the
Primorsky Territory with the four-month norm of precipitation for the last
two days.
The settlement Preobrazhenye was the hardest hit with 104-mm
snowdrifts that exceeds the four-month norm. The three-month norm of 48-mm
snowfalls was reported in Vladivostok for the foresaid period. The
snowfalls were frequently accompanied with stormy winds. Squally winds
reached 23 meters per second in Vladivostok and 31 meters per second at
the meteorological station Posyet - 31 meters per second. A blizzard was
reported on the coast, and thunderstorms were reported at three
meteorological stations, the territorial meteorological center told
Itar-Tass.
A strong cyclone hit the Primorsky Territory overnight to December 5.
The cyclone has been raging over the territory for the last two days. The
traffic was disrupted between the settlements, the airport was closed over
heavy snowfalls for the last two days.
On Monday morning, the cyclone has gone in the Sea of Okhotsk. The
cleanup operation was launched in the territory. The traffic was fully
restored, and the airport resumed operation. Some 1,500 passengers of six
air companies will depart under the schedule in the course of the day. The
sea navigation was fully restored. The road services are removing snow
from the roads, the bus traffic was resumed in Vladivostok.
-0-baz