The emergency services suspect a criminal act behind the fire which started on the night of Thursday December 8 to Friday December 9 in a shopping center in the suburbs of Moscow.
Thousands of square meters went up in smoke in the Moscow region. The first report communicated by the Russian media reports one death. The gigantic fire started overnight from Thursday to Friday in the Mega Khimki shopping center, in the suburb of Khimki, north of the Russian capital, and also not far from Sheremetyevo international airport.
“ Firefighters fight a fire with an area of 7,000 m² in the Moscow region “, announced on Telegram the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. An explosion took place. ” Due to the collapse of the roof, the fire instantly spread to a wide area “, specified the ministry on Instagram, referring to the difficulty of the firefighters to work on the spot.
Welding work in progress
Russian emergency services suspect that an act ” criminal was the cause of the large fire, Russian news agencies reported shortly after, referring to sources in the emergency services. “ Deliberate acts, such as arson, are contemplated “, indicated the agency Interfax. The Sputnik agency clarified that a criminal act was “ one of the main explanations » considered for this fire.
At this point, nothing is confirmed. The Moscow prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation to determine the causes of the fire. State agencies also cited a violation of safety standards as a possible cause of the fire. Welding work was underway when the fire broke out, according to TASS.
Videos posted on social media showed a massive fire as people fled a burning building towards a parking lot.
(With AFP)