Massive fire engulfs illegally built business centre in Moscow

A large fire broke out in the Grand Setun Plaza business center In the west of Moscow on June 3 in the morning. The fire first engulfed the facade of the building near the main entrance before spreading further up.

It was reported that up to 20 people could be staying inside. For the time being, there is no information about possible victims of the fire.

The fire was spreading very quickly and was categorised as five-alarm fire.

The fire was raging on about 1,000 square meters, the Moscow Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.

The head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Alexander Kurenkov, and his deputy Ilya Denisov arrived at the scene.

The fire could have been caused by arson. According to another version, the fire started due to a short circuit, which occurred due to improper installation of illumination on the facade of the building.

The head of the Moscow EMERCOM, Sergei Zheltov, was hospitalized after the operation to liquidate the fire at the Grand Setun Plaza business center in Moscow, TASS reports.

Zheltov was taken to the hospital with an extensive infarction. It was also said that the official had signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The fire was completely extinguished at 12:32.

Interestingly, the Grand Setun Plaza business center that opened in April 2012, was a self-construction, that is, an illegally erected building.

"A classic example of self-construction is a nice ten-story building of the Grand Setun Plaza business center on Gorbunova St.. The business centre was built on the site of the VILS exhibition hall in the industrial zone without any permits either for construction or the land lot,” Sergey Shogurov, the chief of the State Inspectorate for Control over the Use of Real Estate in Moscow, told the MK newspaper on December 23, 2014.