RT reported that a major fire broke out at a shopping center in the city of Vladikavkaz, southern Russia, on the morning of December 25, after 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 Caucasus.
Emergency services said one person was killed and two others were injured. The fire affected around 800 square metres and was extinguished in about an hour, according to official updates.
The shopping mall opened in 2015 and has a total area of 28,000 square meters, 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 at the top center of the building. Windows were broken and smoke was coming out of the cracks, and the roof was badly damaged at the central entrance.
The explosion was powerful enough to shake the entire building, leading to a fire, witnesses told media.
TASS cited official sources as saying the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Other sources said the cause could have been a gas cylinder. The fourth floor had a food court and the building was not connected to a gas pipeline, according to North Ossetia Governor 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.
