Eight dead in fire at former Russian research institute near Moscow

Two people are said to have jumped to their death from the top floors of the burning eight-storey building on Monday.

At least eight people are dead after a fire in an office building in the city of Fryazino outside Moscow on Monday, according to Russian emergency services.

Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of the burning eight-storey former Russian electronics research institute on Monday and at least six others died in the fire, the state-run TASS news agency reported.More than 130 firefighters and 50 vehicles tackled the flames, which had spread from the fifth floor to the seventh, according to TASS.

Black smoke billowed from the building outside Moscow and flames roared up its walls.

Some people were trapped on the top floors but were unable to escape.

A video released by the Russian Emergency Ministry showed fire engines and helicopters battling the fire which spread across 5,000sq m.

The interior structures of the building collapsed, the ministry said, and an explosion was heard as gas cannisters exploded in the flames.

“The extinguishing operation is complicated by the presence of gas-air mix canisters inside the building,” said the press office to TASS news agency.

The building is located about 15.5 miles (25km) northeast of the capital and is shared by a number of different companies.

One man was shown jumping from the upper floor of the building by the Baza Telegram channel.

Another with serious burns fell from the upper floors, footage published by the Shot Telegram channel showed.It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

SOURCE: SKYNEWS