These Russian Firefighters Stopped To Take A Selfie As 17 People Died In Blaze Inside

Two Russian firefighters who took a selfie in front of a blaze where 17 people were killed are facing the sack.

The two men, Ilya Bykov, 30, and Rostislav Krylov, 28, were called to the shopping centre inferno in Kazan in the central Russian Republic of Tatarstan, but stopped to take a picture in front of the fire on their way.

The blaze killed 17 people and seriously injured another 55, including two policemen and two emergency workers.

The fire is thought to have started in a cafe next door to the complex on March 11 and was at first tackled by a lone security guard before he phoned emergency services when it raged out of control.

The selfie of Bykov and Krylov appeared on the social networking site VKontakt, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, where the two men are seen smiling as flames engulf the building behind them.

Horrified viewer Yegor Tokaryev posted: ‘Christ! People are dying in there and these men are smiling and taking photos!! They are there to save lives.’

Another disgusted viewer Svetlana Kapustina wrote: ‘It makes me sick to think that while those poor people were burning to death these two were treating it as some sort of joke.’

Now authorities say they are looking into the photos and may take disciplinary steps.

A spokesman for the Regional Emergency Situations Department said: ‘Most to the emergency workers called to the scene did their job competently and efficiently.
 
‘These two are not characteristic of those who work hard every day, tirelessly saving lives.
 
‘We are looking into the circumstances behind the photo and if it is found that the actions of these two firemen put people's lives at risk they shall be fired and criminal proceedings brought against them.’