RT reports that local officials say the blaze broke out at a construction retailer and risks spreading to other departments and consuming the entire complex.
A large shopping centre on the outskirts of the Russian capital, erupted in a massive fire on Friday morning.
RT reports that local officials say the blaze broke out at a construction retailer and risks spreading to other departments and consuming the entire complex.
Emergency workers responded to reports of a blaze at the Mega Khimki mall, located in the Moscow region just outside the nation’s capital, shortly after 6 am on Friday morning, according to the regional office of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
By 7:30 am the fire had grown to an area of around 7,000 square meters. At least 30 first responders were helping to fight the conflagration with nine pieces of equipment, the ministry said, adding that the fire was rated as a four out of five in terms of intensity. As the flames spread, emergency workers announced plans to use a firefighting aircraft to help extinguish the blaze.
Meanwhile, one person said to be a security guard has been confirmed to have lost his life in the inferno. Local media reports had suggested that people were inside the building at some point during the fire.
However, eyewitnesses said employees were evacuated from the complex immediately, however.
The fatality was confirmed to the media by Sergey Poletykin, who heads the regional branch of the Emergencies Ministry. The victim reportedly worked as a security guard at the mall.
Dramatic footage making the rounds online revealed the scale of the inferno, with multiple clips showing at least one blast erupting inside the shopping center, as some media reports noted that large quantities of “paints, varnishes” and other flammables were stored inside the burning section of the mall.
Denis Andreev, a Khimki city prosecutor, has reportedly arrived at the scene to observe, while the prosecutor’s office for the broader Moscow Region said it would launch a probe into the incident and its cause.
It is unclear how the fire started, but officials confirmed it first erupted within OBI, a formerly German-owned home improvement retailer sold to new Russian operators earlier this year.
OBI sells home renovation items, including highly flammable paints and varnishes, which were stored at a warehouse on the property.
Emergency services said that more than 70 firefighters and 20 fire trucks were working at the site, adding that their work was hampered due to the design of the building, The Sun UK reports.
"Due to the collapse of the roof, the fire spread instantly to a large area," the Moscow region's emergency services said on Telegram.
Early Russian reports said an explosion had preceded the collapse of structures in the building.
Powerful explosions were heard at the scene,” reported Life news outlet.