Nightclub fire leaves 13 dead in Russia

Nov. 5 (UPI) -- At least 13 people are dead after a fire ripped through a nightclub, causing the roof to collapse in the Russian city of Kostroma on Saturday night.

Earlier reports that 15 bodies were found in the charred Polygon nightclub were inflated, Russian news agency TASS reported.

The fire started when a drunk patron fired a flare gun inside, setting the large building ablaze in Kostroma, which is located around 190 miles northeast of Moscow. The city has a population of around 230,000.

Video from the scene shows flames shooting through the roof of the single-story building.

A 23-year-old suspect was arrested a while later, authorities confirmed.

"As a result of complex operational-search measures, police officers identified and detained a suspect in an unlawful act in one of the entertainment establishments in the city of Kostroma, which caused a fire and death of people. Currently, the suspect has been handed over to the investigating authorities," reads a statement from the Russian Investigative Committee.

The committee also confirmed the suspect fired a "pyrotechnic pistol" inside the nightclub.

The exact number of people inside the club at the time isn't clear, although 250 people were evacuated from the building, with at least five being taken to the hospital with various injuries.

Rescue crews said the fire took 5 hours to extinguish and engulfed an area of 37,600 square feet.