Explosion heard near FSB headquarters in Moscow toy store
An explosion occurred at a toy store in Moscow (Illustrative photo: Russian media)
At least one person was killed as a result of a gas cylinder explosion at the Central Children's Store in Moscow. The store is located on Lubyanka Square, near the headquarters of the Federal Security Service, according to Reuters.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that the emergency incident resulted in fatalities and injuries. According to him, the explosion was caused by faulty equipment.
Russian media reported that the cylinder contained gas intended for balloons.
The Moscow Department of Health reported that the incident occurred on the third floor. Two people were hospitalized, and another received medical assistance on site.
People were evacuated from the toy store, which also houses restaurants, a cinema, and other shops.
According to Russian Telegram channels, one of the three injured in the explosion at the Central Children’s Store was an FSB employee. His bag containing an official ID was found at the scene.
The Telegram channel Astra, which published footage from the scene, cited the words of the injured man’s wife. She said her husband sustained serious leg injuries and was placed in an induced coma at the hospital. He may have come to the toy store for lunch from a neighboring building.
On the night of August 17, a large-scale fire broke out near the Shcherbinka station in Moscow. According to emergency services, the fire covered an area of about 600 square meters. The flames destroyed warehouses, a café, and a bakery, and spread to nearby buildings.
On the night of August 14, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the largest oil refinery, LLC Lukoil-Volgogradnaftoperobka. The attack caused extensive fires at the facility.
