Russian emergency services suspect a “criminal” act is at the origin of a large fire that broke out overnight from Thursday to Friday in a shopping center on the outskirts of Moscow, killing one person according to Russian media.
7000 m² affected
“Firefighters are fighting a fire with an area of 7,000 m² in the Moscow region,” the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry announced on Telegram, without first confirming the death toll mentioned by Russian media.
The fire devastates the Mega Khimki shopping center, in the suburb of Khimki, north of the Russian capital, seven kilometers from the Sheremetyevo international airport.
“Due to the collapse of the roof, the fire instantly spread to a large area,” the ministry said on Instagram, citing the difficulty of firefighters working on the scene.
“Deliberate acts”?
Russian emergency services suspect a “criminal” act was behind the massive fire, Russian news agencies reported shortly afterward, referring to sources within the emergency services.
“Deliberate acts such as arson are expected,” Interfax reported.
The Sputnik agency specified that a criminal act was “one of the main explanations” considered for this fire. State agencies later cited a violation of safety regulations as the possible origin of the fire.
Videos posted on social media showed a massive fire as people fled from a burning building into a parking lot.
Source: BFM TV
