A massive fire broke out in a large warehouse used by Russia’s largest online retailer south of St. Petersburg on Saturday morning. The blaze engulfed an area of 70,000 square meters, with 50,000 square meters of the Wildberries warehouse collapsing. Fortunately, no casualties were reported by Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry.
Videos posted to social media showed employees running down fire escapes and fleeing the scene. A video shot from a nearby passenger jet showed flames completely engulfing the warehouse, sending large plumes of smoke into the sky. While their authenticity couldn’t be immediately verified by the Associated Press, the urgency of the situation was evident.
The Emergency Situations Ministry stated that firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the entire warehouse complex and an electrical substation. Preliminary findings suggested that faulty electrical wiring was the cause of the fire.
According to Russian officials cited by state news agency TASS, Wildberries had received permission to construct the warehouse, but not operate it. TASS also reported that the fire alarms were turned off at the time of the fire due to numerous false alarms. However, Wildberries insisted that it was fully compliant with local regulations and safety requirements.