1 dead after shopping mall bursts into flames in Moscow

A fire engulfed one of the largest shopping malls near Moscow early Friday, emergency services said, causing part of the structure to collapse, hampering firefighters’ efforts to douse the blazes.

The blaze spread over an area of ​​about 75,000 square feet at the mega mall in Khimki near the Russian capital, authorities said. One person died in the fire, authorities say.

The Russian Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, said it was investigating the cause of the fire. The head of the Moscow Region Emergency Services Agency said it appears the fire was the result of safety regulations violated during repair work on the building.

Mega was home to a large number of western retail chains before the companies left Russia in the wake of the Ukraine conflict, including one of the first IKEA stores in the Moscow area.