Circus Fire Kills Barmaid, Monkeys

A fire broke out at a circus in Kursk after a cigarette butt ignited gasoline that had been sprayed on an arena floor, a news agency reported Sunday. One woman died and four people were wounded.

Five monkeys also died, according to ITAR-Tass.

The fire broke out Saturday night during a performance of horsemen, who had poured gasoline on the floor to keep the dust down, the agency said.

Fire officials in Kursk, 310 miles southwest of Moscow, said a spectator threw a cigarette butt onto the arena.

Maria Khodunova, a barmaid at the circus, burned to death, the report said. Another four people were hospitalized for burns of varying degrees.