Russia fire: Four people detained for questioning

At least 64 people were killed in Kemerovo shopping mall fire, Reuters reports citing Russia's Emergencies Minister.

As many as 41 children may be among the victims, said officials, and more than 10 are listed as missing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended deep condolences to his Russian counterpart over the Russian shopping mall tragedy.

In his message to Vladimir Putin, Xi expressed his deep sorrow on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

Identification of victims is still underway, and the search and rescue operation is ongoing.

The fire’s cause was not immediately clear, but some media reports suggest that the source started at a children's playground, after a trampoline caught on fire when a child misused a lighter. Other reports suggest that an electrical wiring short-circuit led to the fire, but none of the reports have been officially confirmed. 

Four people have been detained for questioning, including the head of the company that manages the shopping center, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.  The owner of the Winter Cherry complex is thought to be among those detained.

Local residents seen by the Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping center hit by fire. 

The fire broke out on an upper floor of the Zimnyaya Vishnya, also known as "Winter Cherry" complex, which boasts cinemas, shops and restaurants in Russia's Kemerovo city in western Siberia at around 17:00 local time (1000 GMT) on Sunday.

"According to preliminary information, the roof collapsed in two cinemas," investigators said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how many people were inside the complex when the fire broke out, but earlier reports said 20 people were rescued from the building and a total of 100 people were evacuated.

The fire has been brought under control over 17 hours after the breakout, but as many as 660 firefighters and rescue personnel are still working on the scene to locate the missing.