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Arson sparked massive fire in Russia's Rostov-on Don— source

One man was killed in the blaze, 58 sought medical attention

© Yevgeny Dubrovsky/TASS

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Several incidents of arson are being attributed to the massive fire that swept through the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a law enforcement source told TASS on Wednesday.

"The examination and analysis of the fire scene show that it occurred as a result of arson carried out in several places. At present, this is a preliminary version," the source said.

Read also

Rostov-on-Don inferno claims life of one victim

Local citizens who called the emergency services notified the authorities that the fires occurred in various areas, the source added.

Officials have so far not confirmed this information to TASS.

On Monday, a massive fire broke out in the historic downtown area of Rostov-on-Don. Private homes on an area of about 10,000 square meters were hit by the blaze. The fire destroyed about 120 buildings, of these nearly 100 were residential dwellings. One man was killed in the blaze. About 600 people were evacuated from nearby houses, while 58 sought medical attention.

A state of emergency was declared in the Rostov-on-Don region. Police launched a criminal investigation into any deliberate destruction or property damage.

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