Death toll in Odessa reaches 46 people

The death toll in the riots in Odessa provoked by Right sector radicals and representatives of the so-called self-defense Maidan from Kiev, has reached 46 people. Prosecutor of Odessa region Igor Borshulyak told reporters on Saturday.
"During the clashes and fire in the House of Trade Unions 46 people were killed, more than two hundred enlisted the help of health care providers. 20 of them are the police. Eight people died from fall from height in the fire," said the prosecutor. It was also reported that the member of the local regional council Vyacheslav Markin of the Party of Regions died in a hospital. The exact cause of his death is still unknown.

The disturbance began in Odessa in the daytime on Friday with a mass brawl at Grecheskaya Street. It was instigated by football fans from Kharkov and Right Sector and Self-Defence radicals from Kiev, who decided to organize a march on Odessa streets. They provoked clashes with federalization supporters. Forcing them out, radicals set fire to a camp at Kulikovo Field where activists collected signatures to hold a referendum on federalization of Ukraine and the official status of the Russian language. Activists from the camp escaped to the nearby building of the regional House of Trade Unions, and radicals set fire to the building. When the fire reached the upper floors, many of the people there died from smoke. Others jumped from upper floors and died when falling. Those who survived were cruelly beaten by Kiev radicals with batons.