At least 48 dead in Siberian shopping mall fire

"More bodies were discovered during the inspection of the scene and we confirm the death toll is at 48," Aksyonov said.

Aksyonov also said that constructions in some of the areas of the shopping mall had been still smoldering.

"Two out of three cinema halls caved in from the fourth to the third floor of the building," he said.

A spokesman for the operative emergencies headquarters at the site told TASS earlier that "eleven more bodies were discovered at the fire site in the area of cinema halls" adding up to previously reported 37 killed in the fire.

Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said that 16 people are still reported to be missing after the deadly blaze at a shopping mall.

"Unfortunately, 48 people are dead, 19 bodies are now being identified," Puchkov said and added that "16 people are reported to be missing."

The fire at the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) shopping mall in central Kemerovo erupted on Sunday on the top floor of the four-storey building engulfing an area of some 1,500 square meters.

Twenty people were rescued from the blaze and about 100 were evacuated. The fire has been reported to be localized. A criminal investigation has been launched.

The shopping mall with an overall area of 23,000 square meters was opened in 2013. It has a parking lot for 250 cars, shops, a bowling alley, a children's center, a cinema, food courts and a petting zoo.