Russian firefighters on Friday battled a massive blaze the size of a football pitch which broke out overnight in a shopping center in a Moscow suburb, emergency services said.
“In the Moscow region, firefighters are putting out a fire the size of 7,000 square meters (75,300 square feet),” Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram.
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The fire broke out at the Mega Khimki shopping center in Moscow’s northern suburb of Khimki.
Russian news agencies quoted sources in emergency services saying “arson” was suspected as a possible cause of the blaze.
“Deliberate acts, as in arson, is being considered,” the Interfax news agency quoted a source as saying.
Videos on social media showed a huge fire, with people fleeing the burning building into a parking lot.
⚡🔥#Mordor on Fire
— 🇺🇦UkraineNewsLive🇺🇦Glory to Ukraine🇺🇦 (@UkraineNewsLive) December 9, 2022
Morning in #Russia began with a large-scale fire in the MegaKhimki shopping center in #Moscow
First, the roof caught fire. Eyewitnesses write that powerful claps are heard.1/2⬇️#RussiaIsATerroristState pic.twitter.com/kfw1u8Mq4m
Mega Khimki, a large shopping and entertainment center, is about seven kilometers from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. The fire is ongoing as of 9:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT).
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