RT reported that a major fire broke out at a shopping mall in the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz on the morning of December 25, following a large explosion inside.
The incident occurred at Alania Mall, a large shopping and entertainment center in the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in the North Caucus.
Emergency services said one person was killed and two others were injured. According to official updates, the fire affected about 800m2 and was extinguished in about an hour.
This shopping mall opened in 2015 and has a total area of 28,000m2, including a basement and four floors above ground.
According to a clip shared by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the damaged part was located in the top center of the building. Windows were broken and smoke was coming from cracks, the roof was severely damaged at the central entrance.
The blast was powerful enough to shake the entire building, leading to a fire, witnesses told the media.
TASS quoted official sources as saying the explosion occurred due to a gas leak. Other sources say the cause may be gas cylinders. The fourth floor has a food court and the building is not connected to a gas pipeline, according to Northern Governor Ossetia Sergey Menyailo.
Media sources identified the person killed in the incident as a 57-year-old woman, although it was not clear whether she was an employee or a customer.
