IN BRIEF: What we know about fire in building outside Moscow
An emergency management service reported an explosion inside the building, and said it was caused by a gas cylinder
MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. An office building caught fire in an industrial zone in the town of Fryazino near Moscow, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said. First responders are making efforts to rescue people trapped inside.
TASS has put together what we know about the incident so far.
Details of the fire
- Report about the fire at 2 Zavodskoy Proyezd came in at 2:39 p.m. Moscow time.
- When the first firefighting and rescue crew arrived at the scene, it saw thick smoke on the fifth floor of the eight-story building.
- The blaze is raging on floors five to seven at this time.
- The area of the fire covers 4,500 square meters.
- An emergency management service reported an explosion inside the building, and said it was caused by a gas cylinder.
- Roselektronika said the burning building is not part of the Platan research institute, or is in any other way related to the defense industry, as it was privatized in the 1990s.
- Most of the office space in the building is rented off. That’s where the fire could have originated, according to an emergency management official.
- Companies that are located in the building, which sits next to the burning one, are not evacuating their staff and are operating as usual.
Rescue operation and casualties
- Staff from the Emergency Situations Ministry rescued one person, reaching the person through stairs.
- The fire killed two people, according to emergency management officials.
- The rescue operation is ongoing. It is made harder by high temperature and thick smoke.
- One of the victims is in grave condition in a hospital, and two firefighters sought medical help due to smoke inhalation.
- The exact number of victims is being verified.
- The acting head of the Emergency Situations Ministry’s Moscow Region office, Alexander Pereguda, is on his way to the scene.
- The effort to put out the fire involves more than 100 people and 40 pieces of equipment. Two helicopters were dispatched to the scene.
- A criminal investigation was started into the death of the two people in the fire.