Site of mall fire that killed 37 children turned into memorial ‘Park of Angels’ (VIDEO)
A park commemorating victims of one of the deadliest fires in Russian history was opened in the city of Kemerovo. Sixty people, most of them children, perished in the conflagration at a now-demolished shopping mall.
The memorial park that was opened on Sunday is located right where the mall stood, with a pine tree planted for each person killed in March 2018. There is also a chapel with the names of the victims engraved on the walls inside and a wall evoking images of a ruined building as a reminder of the tragedy.
But it’s not all gloom – the park is meant to also celebrate healing and life. There are swings for children, a fountains-adorned tower and a rotunda with a type of a metal tongue drum, a sad-sounding musical instrument, set in the center.
In addition to claiming 60 lives the blaze in Kemerovo left 79 people injured and killed dozens of animals from a small zoo, who were trapped in their cages as people were running for their lives.
The tragedy was blamed on gross negligence by owners, who cut costs and turned their business into a death trap, and corrupt officials, who turned a blind eye to the violations of safety standards happening under their nose.
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