MOSCOW, March 22. /TASS/. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry is increasing the group of firefighters involved in the operation to extinguish a fire in the Crocus City Hall shopping mall and entertainment center near Moscow, the ministry's press service has told TASS.

"The Russian Emergencies Ministry is building up the group involved in extinguishing the fire in Crocus City Hall. At present, more than 320 men and over 130 vehicles are involved in the operation," the ministry said.

Earlier, the agency said that firefighters were focused on rescuing people. They evacuated 100 from the basement of the burning building and from the roof. The fire was assigned a high complexity rank.

A TASS correspondent at the scene of the emergency reported that fire extinguishing from elevators and telescopic ladders began. The roof and the upper floor of the building are almost completely burned out. The roof is collapsing, the glass facade is crumbling.