Russian Mall Burned Down: Head of Emergency Services Suspects Violation of Rules, Investigative Committee Holds Inquiries

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/DVIDSHUB)

JAKARTA - The Mega Khimki shopping center building near Moscow, Russia, was engulfed in flames with the fire said to have spread to an area of 18,000 square meters early Friday, said a rescue authority source.

"At the moment, the whole building is on fire, the fire has spread to around 18,000 square meters," the source told TASS, as reported by Friday, December 9.

The collapse of part of the building complicated the efforts of firefighters to extinguish the fire.

"As a result of the roof collapse, the fire immediately spread over a large area," the region's emergency services said on Telegram, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

More than 70 firefighters and 20 fire trucks are on site to tackle the blaze.

Authorities said one person died as a result of the fire, citing Reuters.

Separately, the Russian Investigative Committee, which investigates major crimes, said it was investigating the cause of the conflagration.

Meanwhile, the head of the Moscow Region Emergency Services Agency said the blaze was allegedly the result of a violation of safety regulations during building repair work.

It is understood the mall had housed a variety of major Western retail outlets, before they withdrew after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, citing the BBC. It includes one of the first IKEA stores in the Moscow region.

Гигантский пожар в ТЦ Мега в Химках под Москвой pic.twitter.com/lanItu5AJF

— Dmitry Kolezev | Против войны! (@kolezev) December 9, 2022