A Russian businessman on Tuesday blamed the Jewish people for a tragic leisure complex fire in the Siberian city of Kemerovo that killed 64 people, 41 of them children.
The fire tore through the Winter Cherry shopping mall on Sunday, the first weekend of spring school holidays, trapping those inside. CNN quoted Russian investigators as saying the mall's fire exits were blocked and the alarm system had been turned off.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the deadly fire was a result of "criminal negligence."
He scolded officials for neglecting safety rules that could have prevented the tragedy.
A Russian businessman named Artyom Nikiforov, meanwhile, blamed the Jewish people for the tragedy.
Israeli-Russian journalist Shimon Briman posted Nikiforov's video to his Facebook page. The video has thus far received over 1,400 shares.
"The terrible tragedy in Siberia happened now, near the Jewish Passover holiday," Nikiforov said. He also noted two past disasters that occurred around Jewish holidays – Hanukah and Purim – implying the events were connected.
Jewish blood libels have become increasingly prevalent in various parts of Russia in recent years. Among other things, Jews were accused by an academic researcher of the murder of the Russian royal family.
Putin arrived in Kemerovo early Tuesday, laying flowers at the makeshift memorial to the victims outside the mall and meeting with officials. He did not show up at the protest in front of the regional government's headquarters but met with some demonstrators at the city's morgue.
"Hearing about so many children who died fills you with a desire to not simply cry but to wail," a somber-faced Putin said. "We lost so many people because of criminal negligence and sloppiness."
Putin noted the highly combustible materials used to convert the mall from a Soviet-era confectionary factory and the absence of a functioning fire safety system, saying that investigators will track down all those responsible.
Thousands of Russians rallied for more than 10 hours Tuesday, demanding the ouster of regional officials over the fire.
One protester at the rally, Igor Vostrikov, addressed deputy governor Sergei Tsivilyov, saying the families of the victims think the death toll is much higher than authorities have stated because the entire movie theater burnt down.
"We're not calling for blood," he said. "The children are dead, you can't give them back. We need justice."
The impromptu protest reflected residents' deep frustration with the official response to the tragedy. The local governor has still not visited the site of the fire or met with the relatives, and Putin waited a day before traveling to Kemerovo and declaring nationwide mourning.
Facing public outrage, the Kremlin issued a statement declaring Wednesday a day of mourning.
Alexander Bastrykin, chief of the Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, told Putin on Tuesday that the fire alarm had not been operational for two weeks and a security guard who failed to activate a parallel warning system couldn't provide a "reasonable" explanation for his actions.
He said investigators believe the blaze could have been sparked by a short circuit.
