Moscow office building fire kills eight
Iain Hoey
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Fire in office building near Moscow results in eight fatalities
As reported by the Guardian, a fire in an office building near Moscow has resulted in the deaths of at least eight people, including two who jumped from the building in an attempt to escape the flames.
The incident took place in the town of Fryazino on Monday.
Video footage showed smoke and flames billowing out of the top floors, with a group of four people huddled around a broken window.
The Moscow regional governor, Andrei Vorobyov, stated: “Two men jumped out of the window while trying to escape. Unfortunately, they died.”
Vorobyov also confirmed that six more people died inside the building.
The fire, which spread to approximately 5,000 square metres, has now been contained by emergency services.
Explosions triggered by oxygen cylinders
According to Vorobyov, about 30 companies rent space in the office block, with two companies having employees present during the fire.
He explained: “There were also oxygen cylinders in the building, which triggered explosions. This led to the collapse of the floor slabs.”
The Platan Research Institute, one of the tenants, produces electronics and has been sanctioned by the US Treasury for activities such as meddling in foreign elections and conducting malicious cyber operations.
The Institute’s parent company, Ruselectronics, claimed that the company was not affected by the blaze and stated that the building had passed into private ownership in the 1990s.
Possible cause and investigation
The state news agency Tass reported that the fire was likely caused by a malfunctioning electrical system.
A criminal case has been opened, and investigators are working to determine the exact circumstances of the fire.
Deadly fires are not uncommon in Russia, where lax safety standards and outdated building infrastructure are persistent issues.
Efforts to modernise these buildings with adequate alarms and firefighting equipment have been ongoing but remain insufficient in many cases.
