At least one person has been killed in a fire at a shopping center on the edge Moscow, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.
Video footage of the blaze revealed explosions at Mega Khimki Mall.
Although arson is being investigated as possible causes of the fires, it is believed that an electrical fault is more likely to be the trigger.
The centre was home to major Western retail outlets until February’s invasion.
The fire spread to the OBI superstore complex’s roof early Thursday morning and reached 18,000 sq.m (194,000 sq.ft) at one point.
Russian media reported that firefighters claimed it was contained to a surface of 7,000 square meters by around 08:30 Moscow Time (05:30 GMT).
Two hours later, an official from the Emergencies Ministry stated that what he called “open fire” had been extinguished.
According to firefighters, at least one explosion occurred at OBI (which sells garden and home improvement wares) and caused the structure’s collapse.
Exploding paint tins and aerosols may have caused the blasts.
Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into the incident. The fire caused losses of $320m to $480m (PS261m – PS390m).
OBI, a German hardware chain, has sold the store to all of its Russian outlets, including 27 superstores, over the summer.
Josef Liokumovich, a Russian-born German-Israeli Businessman, purchased a 60% stake for $10 (PS8).
