More than 30 pro-Russian demonstrators are dead in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa following a fire in a government building.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry says the majority died in the fire, while eight were killed when they jumped from the building.
The fire followed street battles between crowds of Ukrainian nationalists and pro-Russian separatists. Odessa, which sits on the Black Sea 300 miles from Crimea, is Ukraine's third largest city. Until now, the city had largely avoided much of the violence that's swept Ukraine since the EuroMaidan revolution started in November 2013.
On Friday, however, Odessa was the site of one Ukraine's bloodiest days since dozens were killed in Kiev's Independence Square in February.
It was part of a wave of violence that hit Ukraine on Friday.
How it started
The violence began when two demonstrations -- one consisting of pro-Ukrainian nationalists holding a unity march, the other supporters of Russia -- collided in a melee of smoke grenades, Molotov cocktails, flares and cobblestone bricks.
Videos posted to YouTube and Instagram show demonstrators from both sides swarming in the town's center, as fire and stones rain down from above. Protesters ripped apart the city's streets, using bricks and stones to arm themselves in the fight and making molotov cocktails out of discarded bottles. Some of the demonstrators appeared to be young teenagers.
These girls breaking up cobblestones for pro-Maidan side in #odessa say they are 14 years old: pic.twitter.com/K4WbCNC6Xq— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Making Molotovs in central #Odessa: pic.twitter.com/qzUzKR5JAO— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
A building under siege
As the day wore on, pro-Ukraine demonstrators swarmed Odessa's trade union building, which had been occupied by Russian separatists since March 3. Ukrainian nationalists reportedly gathered outside, chanting pro-Ukrainian phrases ("Glory to Ukraine!" and "Death to enemies!” according to RT's translation) and throwing Molotov cocktails at the building.
Other @Reuters pictures show people, trapped, waiting to be rescued from #Odessa fire. They were lucky ones. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/F8tOjbpAZK— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) May 2, 2014
Some of the demonstrators attempted to escape the fire by climbing out of windows -- some from three stories high -- but for others, the smoke and flames were overwhelming. Dozens died from smoke inhalation.
They're trying to throw ropes up to the guys hanging out of windows (5 by my count now). Not getting close.— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Aftermath outside trade union building in #odessa: pic.twitter.com/OpbCqyWjOt— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Warning: this video is extremely graphic:
Video purportedly showing the scene after the flames were extinguished shows soot-covered bodies piled up in rooms throughout the building.