UFA, September 9. /TASS/. Firefighters have evacuated a petting zoo from the burning shopping mall Mercury in Ufa, Marat Latypov, chief of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Main Department for Bashkortostan, told reporters on Friday.

"The local mini zoo was evacuated during firefighting [efforts]," Latypov said.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry wrote on its Telegram channel that the fire had spread to an area of 1,500 square meters. The flame has engulfed the roof, so articulating boom lifts are used to extinguish it.

A fire in the Mercury shopping mall was reported at 21.36 local time (19.36 Moscow time). The open fire was seen on the third floor of the building when fire brigades arrived at the scene. Seventy-eight firefighters and 28 pieces of equipment are engaged. There are no immediate reports about casualties.