Russia's Perm Fire Death Toll Climbs To 135

Burn victims from the Lame Horse nightclub blaze in Perm at a St. Petersburg hospital on December 7

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Eleven more people died overnight from injuries sustained in a nightclub fire in the Russian city of Perm, bringing the total to 135, the regional government has said.

Many were in top burns centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg and all but two were in their 20s and 30s, the region's website perm.ru said.

The country's most deadly blaze in decades was sparked on December 4 when an indoor firework show ignited wicker coverings on the walls of a club, prompting a stampede as partygoers rushed towards a narrow door to escape clouds of toxic black smoke.

On December 9, the region's government resigned after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lambasted local officials in Perm -- about 1,150 kilometers east of Moscow -- for failing to enforce safety rules.

Authorities said the Lame Horse nightclub was only licensed to hold 50 people and emergency exits were blocked by the management.