Firefighters battle massive blaze in western Moscow, no casualties reported
3:03 PM EDT, August 31, 2024
On Saturday, August 31, clouds of dark smoke appeared over western Moscow. Interfax said a fire broke out in a three-story administrative building on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment. The firefighting operation was completed in the evening. There are no reports of casualties.
The fire broke out on Saturday, August 31, in western Moscow on the Berezhkovskaya Embankment. Information provided by Interfax indicates that the fire started in a three-story administrative building and covered an area of about 11,000 square feet.
Interfax also reported no casualties. The area, however, was crowded with emergency services. More than 130 firefighters participated in the operation, and 45 vehicles, including the firefighting ship Colonel Chernyshev, were used. Drones and four helicopters from the Moscow Aviation Center were also deployed.
Two Ka-32 helicopters of the Moscow Aviation Center are being used to extinguish a fire on Berezhkovskaya Embankment – reported the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
After 2:30 PM, Interfax reported that firefighting helicopters had dropped more than 390 tons 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 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 center in northern Moscow, engulfing four floors of the building.
