Smoke engulfs western Moscow as massive fire prompts emergency response
On Saturday, August 31, clouds of dark smoke appeared over western Moscow. According to the Interfax agency, a fire broke out in a three-storey administrative building on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment. The firefighting operation was only completed in the evening hours. There are no reports of casualties.
The fire broke out on Saturday, August 31, in western Moscow on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment. Information provided by the Interfax agency indicates that the fire broke out in a three-storey administrative building and covered an area of about 1,020 square metres.
Interfax also reported no casualties. The area, however, was swarming with emergency services. More than 130 firefighters participated in the operation, and 45 vehicles were used, including the ship "Colonel Chernyshev." Drones and four helicopters from the Moscow Aviation Center also appeared over the city.
Two Ka-32 helicopters of the Moscow Aviation Center are being used to extinguish a fire on Berezhkovskaya Embankment – was reported in a statement by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
After 9:30 AM ET, the Interfax agency reported that firefighting helicopters dropped more than 350,000 litres of water on the fire. Due to the smoke, traffic on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment was partially blocked.
Clouds of smoke over Moscow. The fire was fought for many hours
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that firefighters completed extinguishing the fire on Saturday evening.
A recording showing clouds of dark smoke rising over the city appeared online. One of the helicopters dispatched to the scene can also be seen. Igor Sushko, an American activist of Ukrainian origin, shared the video.
In mid-August, a massive fire broke out in the Rio shopping centre in northern Moscow, engulfing four floors of the building.
