Pope sends condolences for
victims of a fire in Siberia
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| Pope Francis sends condolences following a fire in a Russian shoping mall.- ANSA |
The Pope offers prayers for those who lost loved ones in the
blaze which swept through a shopping and entertainment mall in the Siberian
city of Kemerovo
Pope Francis has sent a telegramme of condolences following
a deadly fire which swept through a shopping and entertainment complex in south
western Siberia.
Russian investigators on Monday confirmed that 64 people had
died, many of them children. The Winter Cherry complex in the city of Kemerovo
was a popular destination for families and was packed with visitors on Sunday
when the fire broke out. Local media said smoke and flames engulfed a
children's trampoline room and a cinema on the fourth floor.
Fire exits blocked
Witnesses said emergency exits were blocked and officials
are searching for a security officer who is suspected of turning off a Public
Announcement system after he was alerted to the blaze. Four people have been
detained for questioning, including the owner of the complex and the head of
the company that manages the shopping centre.
Prayers and condolences
In the telegramme, signed by the Vatican Secretary of State,
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis says he is “deeply saddened” and “offers
heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this tragedy”. He offers prayers
for all who mourn, as well as his “spiritual closeness to authorities and
emergency personnel as they assist the injured and continue their search for
the missing.
The pope says he entrusts all the deceased to the merciful
love of God and he concludes the message by invoking upon all the Lord’s
blessings of peace and consolation.
Please see below the full text of the telegramme:
His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of
the fire which struck the Winter Cherry complex in Kemerovo, and he offers
heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. Entrusting the
deceased, especially the many children who lost their lives, to the merciful
love of God Almighty, His Holiness offers the assurance of his prayers for all
who mourn their loss. With the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the
authorities and emergency personnel as they assist the injured and continue
their search for the missing, Pope Francis invokes upon all the divine
blessings of peace and consolation.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
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