One person died on Friday in a major fire that destroyed a shopping center in a northern Moscow suburb overnight and has since been brought under control by emergency services.
“The outdoor burn has been extinguished,” the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement, indicating that 130 firefighters and 40 teams were deployed under “conditions of high temperatures and dense smoke”.
The Russian investigative committee said a security guard died in the fire, confirming Russian media reports.
According to the initial findings of the investigation, the fire was caused by “welding work that did not meet safety standards”.
Local news agencies initially pointed to an arson attack, but later cited sources who denied an intentional act and pointed to violations of safety regulations.
The fire happened at the Mega Khimki shopping center in the northern suburb of Khimki and affected “7,000 m2” of the total area of 17,000 m2, according to the investigative committee.
“Due to the collapse of the roof, the fire immediately spread over a large area,” the Moscow Region Emergency Medical Service said in Telegram.
Videos posted on social media show a massive fire and people fleeing the burning building into the parking lot.
Mega Khimki is a huge shopping and leisure center in the suburb of Khimki, near Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.