LVIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv says arson was the cause of a deadly fire at the city’s waste dump.
Four people were killed on May 30 at the dump after being trapped under a huge wave of falling garbage triggered by the blaze.
In televised comments late on June 9, Andriy Sadovyy also blamed authorities in Kyiv for failing to promptly send aircraft to extinguish the fire.
Firefighters said on June 9 that the blaze had been brought under control.
Sadovyy's comments came hours after Lviv’s city council canceled a debate on the incident.
The move followed clashes at the council building between riot police and protesters demanding Sadovyy’s resignation.
Hundreds of protesters, who called themselves representatives of the Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian National Self-Defense (UNA-UNSO) organization and Svoboda (Liberty) party, tried to enter the council's session, but hundreds of riot police blocked their way.
Witnesses say some activists did make it inside after pelting police with eggs and using tear gas to break through the police cordon.