One dead after flames engulf hardware store in Moscow suburbs Authorities say fire caused by safety violations

Early in the morning on December 9, a fire broke out at the Mega Khimki shopping center in the suburbs of Moscow. The fire started in OBI, a home improvement store, at about 6:00 am. It grew to encompass the entire building and caused multiple explosions before it was extinguished. By 8:25, it was contained within an area of roughly 7,000 square meters (about 75,000 square feet). OBI was almost completely destroyed, though the other buildings in the complex were not damaged.

One person died in the fire. According to the Telegram channel Mash, the victim was a security guard named Sergey Smurov. He was reportedly one of the last people to exit the building and was found outside with head trauma; according to preliminary reports, a metal structure fell on him as he was evacuating. The Telegram channel Baza reported that a total of 20 people were in the building when the fire broke out (and that 19 evacuated safely).

The fire was caused by a failure to follow proper procedures while welding. Emergency services officials told TASS that the “circumstances of the fire have been established.” Contrary to initial reports that authorities were investigating the incident as arson, the fire was reportedly the result of a welding accident in a building adjoining the store that was undergoing renovation. The workers were unable to extinguish the flames and evacuated the building. This presumably led to the explosion of multiple gas cylinders.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for safety regulation violations, and Russia’s Attorney General has launched an investigation. According to Baza, investigators have identified the company responsible for the renovation.

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