Five children and two adults die in horrific arson attack in Russia, started by ‘drunk’ man over an alleged theft of 85p taken from his son
- Alexander Komarov started a fire in an apartment block in Rostov Veliky, Russia
- Five children and two adults died in the blaze started over an alleged theft of 85p
- Two other families living in upstairs flats of the part-timber block were trapped
- Komarov told police he committed arson and was ‘drunk’ when he used a lighter
Seven people including five children died in a horrific arson started due to a playground dispute over 85 pence.
The victims were burned alive in the fire, which was deliberately set on a part-timber apartment block in Rostov Veliky town in Russia on Saturday night.
Alexander Komarov, 37, used a lighter to start the nighttime blaze after his son claimed a boy who lived in this block had stolen 70 roubles (85 pence) from him, say law enforcement.
The boy, who strongly denied the theft, and his family jumped out of ground floor windows to escape the inferno.
But two other families living in upstairs flats were trapped, according to local media reports.
Anastasia Lendinyova pictured (above) survived the blaze in Rostov Veliky, Russia, but her two children Polina (left) and Sergey (right) both died in the fire
The part-timber apartment block in Rostov, Yaroslavl region, where seven people, including five children, died in a horrific arson attack
Anastasia Kurkina, 23, and her three children Milana, six, Alina, three, and Evgenia, 18 months, all perished.
A mother who lived in another upstairs flat Anastasia Lendinyova was saved but her two children Polina, four, and Sergey, two, died.
Kurkina had told her husband Igor Vanyushev, 35, to jump and she would throw the children from him to catch.
‘But she lost consciousness and she and her daughters suffocated,’ said her step-daughter Olga.
A local man Oleg Kovalev fought through the blaze and grabbed two of the girls who were still alive, but they died soon afterwards from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Local resident Alexandra Vasilyeva said: ‘He cried because he pulled the girls too late, so there was no time to save them. He was so upset, he threw a wild tantrum.
In a police video, suspect Alexander Komarov, can be heard saying he started the fire when he was ‘drunk’. He is pictured (above) after his arrest
Anastasia Kurkina (left) with her daughter Milana, who were both killed in the inferno. Anastasia Lendinyova (right) survived but her daughter Polina (pictured) did not get away from the flames
Valery Lendinyov did not die in the blaze, but his son Sergey (pictured above) was killed slong with four other children
‘He pulled out the girls, and they were still breathing, thinking that they could be saved, but when the ambulance arrived, they said that it was too late.
‘They say the girls were dying in his arms.’
Vanyushev’s uncle Vladimir Urbakh also died in the fire.
A total of 25 people including three children, were evacuated from the building.
State prosecutor’s official Dmitry Dyachkov said Komarov had confessed to an ‘extremely dangerous crime’ and showed ‘an indifferent attitude to human life’.
He is seen on a police video confessing to arson, saying: ‘I took the lighter… And went there. I was drunk.’
He has been detained and faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Suspect Alexander Komarov seen in court (above) hiding his face. He is seen on a police video confessing to arson, saying: ‘I took the lighter… And went there. I was drunk’