One killed, and two others were injured in a fire that broke out in Russia’s St Petersburg Market. The massive fire that broke out around 5 pm on December 10 (local time) spread rapidly through the indoor market. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that around 100 people were evacuated from Pravoberezhnny Market in St Petersburg's Nevsky district. The firefighters immediately reached the spot and started to control the fire. A video of the fire is viral on social media. In the video, flames can be seen shooting into the sky through the roof of a section of the complex measuring approximately 1,500 square metres.
Igor Ulubikov from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said, “Taking into account the rate of fire spread, the combustible load, the intensity of fire spread, and the release of combustion products, additional forces and resources were brought in to the fire site, including a mobile chemical laboratory. The total area of the fire was 1,500 square meters, with 26 units of equipment and 96 personnel involved.”
The blaze is believed to have erupted around 5:00 PM on Wednesday at a two-storey market building situated at 16 Ulitsa Dybenko. It quickly intensified due to the large volume of combustible materials stored inside for the Christmas season. Fire crews managed to contain the spread by around 7:22 PM, although efforts to fully extinguish the flames continued well into the night.
Officials from the Nevsky district have initiated an investigation into the cause of the incident. Authorities have yet to determine what triggered the fire or whether any safety lapses played a role in its rapid escalation throughout the structure.