A massive fire has broken out at a shopping centre in the northwest of Moscow after reports of “explosions" were heard.
Russian firefighters battled the fire, spread in an area of 7,000 square metres that broke out in the Mega shopping centre in Khimki in the Moscow suburb.
Mega had been home to a large number of Western retail chains before the companies’ departure from Russia in the wake of the Ukraine conflict, including one of the first IKEA stores in the Moscow area.
#Russia on 🔥: Shopping mall in #Moscow is on fire, with intermittent explosions. pic.twitter.com/gfd0xzolIU— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) December 9, 2022
The blaze is believed to have started on the roof at the Mega Khimki retail centre with thick clouds of smoke seen billowing in the sky. Videos on social media showed the fire and what appear to be explosions.
Local reports claim that powerful explosions were heard at the scene. The roof of the shopping mall collapsed, however, no injuries were reported.
massive fire inside the Mega Khimki shopping center,#MoscowThe burning area increased to 17 thousand square meters.#Fire #MegaKhimki #Russia #Moscow pic.twitter.com/o2NiCRP0x0— Devesh (@Devesh81403955) December 9, 2022
“What was the rumble near Mega? … It was shaking as if it was an earthquake,” a local posted in the online community, according to The Mirror. “I woke up from the noise. My bed on the 8th floor was trembling,” he added.
Another man said, “Everything started burning from the roof, I do not know exactly where the ignition came from." “The fire developed very quickly,” he added.
It was not clear whether the fire was deliberate or was it linked to the war in Ukraine.
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