Russia: Massive fire at historic Saint Petersburg factory still burning, 1 person killed

A massive fire which gutted a business center in St. Petersburg, which is Russia’s second-largest city, on Monday, April 12, is still burning. The blaze soon spread all across the four floors which makes up to an area of  10,000 square meters, said emergency officials. According to the reports by the Associated Press, the authorities said that around 300 people have been caught up in the fire. An investigation has been launched as the cause of fire is not yet clear.

(People look at smoke and flame rising from the Nevskaya Manufaktura textile factory founded by English merchant J. Thornton in 1841, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, April 12, 2021. Image Credits: AP)

(Smoke and flame rise from the Nevskaya Manufaktura textile factory, founded by English merchant J. Thornton in 1841, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, April 12, 2021. Image Credits: AP)

(Russian Emergency Situations Ministry helicopter dumps water on a large-scale fire at the Nevskaya Manufaktura textile factory founded by English merchant J. Thornton in 1841, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Image Credits: AP)

Fire in St. Petersburg

As per the reports by BBC, the building dates back to 1841 and was initially used for manufacturing fabric. The Russian emergencies ministry said that 40 people have been evacuated and most of the roof and floor deck has collapsed. Termed as ‘Nevskaya Manufaktura’, in the year 2001 the factory was added to St Petersburg's list of historic and culturally valuable sites. Currently, parts of the building were used for manufacturing clothes, however, others were rented out as office space and some areas had been abandoned. 

Fire at a three-storey house in Bangkok

In another significant development worth mentioning, a three-storey house in Bangkok recently collapsed following a fire, leaving four voluntary rescue workers, the owner of the house dead and an unknown number of people still trapped under the rubble. According to the Associated Press, local police Cpl. Kamolpoo Khaokaew informed that a few other people including rescue workers were still trapped under the building after it collapsed. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said the rescue workers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation entered the three-story building after they had extinguished the fire.

While speaking to local news broadcaster Thai PBS, a volunteer rescue workers said that he was spraying water onto the building’s balcony when he sensed something was wrong. Somchai Bowornlarp added that officials from the disaster prevention department soon ordered everyone to leave the house, however, some of the volunteers, who were still inside, couldn’t leave as they were waiting for the water to be turned off first. Bowornlarp said, “Some left but others who were inside holding the hose couldn’t leave because they had to wait for the water to be turned off first. At that moment, the building collapsed in front of me. I was lucky I did not get hurt”.

(Image Credits: AP)