Building catches fire near Moscow, casualties reported

(Patria) - At least eight people have died in a fire that engulfed a building in the town of Fryazino, Moscow Oblast, today.

Several people remained trapped on the upper floors of the building, Russian emergency services and officials announced.

Footage released on the 112 channel on the Telegram communication platform shows some people breaking windows as black smoke billows from the building and fire rages on the lower floors.

"According to preliminary information, nine people are (still) in the building. The rescue operation is ongoing," the Ministry of Emergency Situations stated.

Firefighters rescued at least one person, the ministry added. A helicopter and over 100 people are participating in extinguishing the fire.

The governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, stated that the fire had engulfed three floors of the building and that two people had died.

"According to eyewitnesses, there may be seven more people in the building. The search for victims is still ongoing," Vorobyov said.

Footage has also been released on Telegram showing people trapped in the building breaking windows, and a video circulating on the platform shows a man jumping out of the building.

Although media initially reported that the Platan Research Institute in the town of Fryazino, Moscow Oblast, a manufacturer of radio-electronic equipment for the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, was on fire, the Russian state company Roselectronica denied these reports.