At least eight people have died in a large office building fire near Moscow, the state-owned news agency Tass reports.
Emergency officials told Tass that just one person was rescued from the blaze at the burning building in Fryazino, about 25km (15.5 miles) north-east of the capital.
Two people were killed after they jumped from a window, while six died when the interior of the office collapsed in the blaze, a local emergency services official told Tass.
Footage online shows thick smoke billowing from the upper floors of the eight-storey complex.
There are conflicting reports about the building’s purpose. It once homed the Platan Research Institute and defence industry, according to Tass.
A statement to the agency from Ruselectronics, a Russia-owned electronics organisation, said the building has been privately owned since the 1990s.
However, opposition media outlets recently reported that Platan was based in the building as late as 2023.
Regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov said that a 34-year-old man had been taken to hospital in a serious condition, while two firefighters were also being treated for injuries sustained in the blaze. Local emergency services said the man was the only person rescued from the blaze.
Emergency ministry officials said over 100 specialists and two helicopters were working to fight the fire.
It is not immediately clear what caused the fire, but one eyewitness told Tass that it broke out on the sixth floor before spreading.
Source Agencies
