Two Days Of Mourning Declared After One Killed, 29 Injured In Odesa Fire

Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov has declared December 5-6 days of mourning after a fire at a city college the previous day killed at least one person and injured 29.

The Ukrainian national and Odesa municipal flags will fly at half-mast while residents were asked to limit the use of music and entertainment in the Black Sea port city of nearly 1 million people.

The fire erupted on December 4 at 10:12 a.m. local time on the third floor of the six-story Odesa College of Economics, Law, and Hotel and Restaurant Business, eventually engulfing an area of 4,000 square meters.

As of 10:30 p.m., Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Yavoriy said firefighters were still extinguishing remnants of the fire.

A 17-year-old student died as a result and the whereabouts of 13 people were still being confirmed.

Eleven of the injured are underage and seven are emergency-services personnel.

A criminal investigation has been opened into potential fire-safety violations.

Based on reporting by Dumskaya, Russia Beyond, and Interfax