8 firemen killed at warehouse fire in eastern Moscow

Bodies of eight firemen, who were earlier announced missing as they were putting out a major blaze at a warehouse in the east of the Russian capital, have been discovered, a source in the Russian Emergencies Ministry said, TASS reported.

“The bodies of eight firemen were discovered…, ” the source said. “We have been hoping until the very last minute that they were alive.”

The press service of the Emergencies Ministry reported firefighters have extinguished the fire at the warehouse of plastic goods.

“At 07:44, the fire was extinguished,” the source said.

The ministry’s spokesman said that rescuers also prevented an explosion of 30 cylinders containing household gas in the blazing warehouse for plastic goods. Firefighters also discharged 67 kg (148 pounds) of ammonium from the compressor facility.

A source in the law enforcement agencies told TASS that incautious handling of a radiator was the mostly likely cause of a major fire at the warehouse.

“Workers in the warehouse left the radiators turned on all the time,” he said. “This might have caused overloading of the circuit and the ensuing conflagration.”

Russia’s Investigation Committee has opened an inquiry into the accident.