A massive mall near Moscow was destroyed by fire early Friday. One person was killed in the blaze.
Four days earlier, explosions took place at two military installations in Russia in what was suspected to be an attack by Ukraine, according to The Washington Post.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates large-scale crimes, has been called in to investigate the origins of the mall fire, according to the New York Post.
Moscow region’s emergency services agency laid the blame on safety regulations being violated during building repairs.
You can view the harrowing footage below:
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⚡️ The moment of explosion in “Mega Khimki” Moscow Mall. Video from local social media.
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Prior to that announcement, Euronews reported that Russian officials suspected a “criminal” act led the fire.
“Deliberate acts, such as arson, are envisaged,” the Interfax news agency reported. The Sputnik agency said a criminal act was “one of the main explanations” for the fire’s origins.
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The Associated Press said officials labeled the cause as unsafe welding.
Good morning! Something is burning (and exploding) in Moscow. #Russia pic.twitter.com/0tu1gusbkq
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 9, 2022
Neighbor Anna Aleksandrova had been asleep when the mall exploded.
“We woke up from the explosion. The blast was strong,” she said, according to Newsweek.
Aleksandrova, who lives across from the mall, said the fire followed the explosion.
Large sections of the mall’s exterior wall flew toward the parking lot as those in the structure fled, according to the Daily Mail.
A large shopping mall in suburban #Moscow is in flames. The fire has engulfed 17 thousand square meters of the space. pic.twitter.com/AHSD7DLx2m
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 9, 2022
Officials said more than 70 firefighters and 20 fire trucks fought the fire in the 75,000-square-foot mall.
There was at least one explosion at OBI, a store that sells home improvement products, according to the BBC. The explosions were likely from paint cans and aerosol products exploding.
The mall once was home to many Western retailers, but most of them closed their stores after the start of the Ukraine war.
Last month a massive fireball rose into the Russian sky after a natural gas pipeline exploded in Vsevolozhsk, which is east of St. Petersburg, according to the New York Post. St. Petersburg is Russia’s second-largest city.
