According to media reports, one person died in a major fire in a shopping center in a Moscow suburb.
"The fire brigade is fighting a fire in an area of 7,000 square meters in the Moscow region," the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Friday in the online network Telegram.
It did not initially confirm the death.
Arson as a possible cause
The fire broke out on Friday night in the Mega Chimki shopping center in the suburb of Chimki, north of the Russian capital.
More than 70 firefighters and 20 fire engines were deployed.
The roof of the shopping center collapsed in the fire, according to the Moscow Region Emergency Services on Instagram.
This complicates the extinguishing work.
The Interfax news agency, citing emergency services sources, reported that the emergency services were "considering intentional acts such as arson."
The Sputnik news agency also reported a possible criminal background.
However, state news agencies later reported that a breach of safety regulations was more likely to be the cause of the fire.
Videos posted online showed people fleeing the flames into a parking lot.