A huge fire broke out early this morning at a massive online shopping warehouse in St. Petersburg that served as a site for recruiting migrant workers for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
There was panic as more than 1,000 employees fled the inferno at the Wildberries plant in Shushary district.
The massive fire dominated the skyline and was seen by passengers on planes taking off from St. Petersburg airport.
Eyewitnesses said it spread “lighteningly quickly” throughout the 1,076,391 square meter facility.
“In just 20 minutes… there was no warehouse,” said one witness.
Videos show terror as workers try to leave the burning building of Wildberries, Russia's largest online marketplace.
There were horrific scenes as more than 1,000 employees fled the inferno at the Wildberries facility early this morning. A main exit was reportedly closed and people had to pour through a small door
A major fire devastated the Wildberries online shopping warehouse in St. Petersburg, which served as a site for recruiting migrant workers for Putin's war in Ukraine
A thick cloud of smoke rises from the factory. The huge fire dominated the skyline and was seen by passengers on planes taking off from St. Petersburg airport
The footage also shows the fire raging in the snow-covered spot.
The BAZA news agency reported: “During the fire in the Market Square warehouse, a large crowd was unable to squeeze through the narrow doors.”
“According to the workers, they did not know where to flee when the fire broke out and ran around the warehouse in terror.
“There were so many people there that they descended even further from the third floor when the fire was already approaching the first floor.”
Wildberries said in a statement that all employees had been evacuated. No one was reportedly injured.
Almost 300 firefighters and dozens of fire engines and helicopters fought to put out the fire, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
Firefighters brought the fire under control but were still working to extinguish it.
Total damage from the fire, which broke out at 7.42am local time, including lost supplies, could reportedly reach £98 million.
According to employees, the fire extinguishing system was not working when the fire started on shelves of household chemicals.
There were reportedly at least 1,200 people in the warehouse and there were hectic scenes as a main exit was closed and people were forced to go through a small door.
A video shot from a moving vehicle on the road shows huge flames spreading across the factory. The fire left factory workers on edge as they desperately tried to escape the building
Scenes of panic as a crowd gathers in a corridor and tries to leave the building. The main exit was reportedly closed and people had to go through a small door
The fire raged at the factory in front of cars parked on a snow-covered site in St. Petersburg
A fierce fire lights up the sky after the factory goes up in flames
There have been several false fire alarms over the past few days and staff initially suspected this was the case today.
Arson or sabotage is suspected at the sprawling £27 million warehouse. Many employees are migrant workers from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia who were dragged into war by military recruiters, often under the threat of being arrested or sent back to their homeland for immigration violations.
Police and the Russian National Guard reportedly conducted raids on the warehouse over the past two days.
During a raid, a water pipe burst in a suspected sabotage attack.
There was a “massive fight” at the warehouse between ethnic groups working there.
A 33-year-old citizen of Azerbaijan and a 35-year-old citizen of Tajikistan were taken to hospital with stab wounds.
A fire ignited on shelves of household chemicals on the sixth level of the warehouse.
At that time there was a shift change in the huge facility.
Apocalyptic scenes as smoke from fire dominates the skyline over St. Petersburg. Workers could be seen desperately trying to leave the building using the stairwell
The fire in the warehouse in St. Petersburg broke out with full force
A thick cloud of smoke can be seen over the St. Petersburg skyline
The inferno was today assigned the maximum fifth level of complexity.
It is the latest in a spate of fires and explosions during Putin's war with Ukraine.
Some were caused by missiles and drones, but others were caused by sabotage attacks.
Criminal investigations are underway into today's major fire in St. Petersburg.
Online customers would receive a refund for lost orders, the company said.
More than 400 rescuers and 89 special devices were deployed on site.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko posted: “The fire could have started as a result of deliberate arson in revenge for the raids by security forces the day before.”
“They were looking for illegal immigrants and army refugees.”
However, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said that, according to preliminary information, the cause of the fire was faulty electrical wiring.