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At least one person died in a fire incident that occurred in the building of the Russian intelligence agency on Thursday (16/3/2023). Photo/Reuters
MOSCOW – At least one person died after the building of Russia’s intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), caught fire on Thursday in a town just 43 miles from the Ukrainian border.
Citing local emergency services, Russian state media reported that two people were also injured in the fire in Rostov.
Footage posted on social media showed flames engulfing parts of the building, belonging to the FSB’s regional border patrol section, with a thick plume of smoke rising over the city.
Regional Governor Vasily Golubev said an electrical short caused the fire, which in turn caused fuel and lubricant containers to explode.
Citing an unnamed police source, local media earlier reported that the fire was caused by an explosion of ammunition stored in a warehouse.
“A series of explosions was heard every 10 seconds after the ammunition caught fire,” witnesses told the Tass news agency as quoted by the Independent, Friday (17/3/2023).
An eyewitness told Russian news outlet 161.ru: “The explosion was so strong that the roof went up and back down.”
Local authorities said emergency services were dispatched to areas that had been cordoned off.
“The details are being clarified,” the press office of the emergency services in Rostov-on-Don said in comments reported by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
