22 September 2016, 19:54 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Contact has been lost with eight firefighters who were battling a fire at a warehouse in the Russian capital, a representative of the Moscow branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told RIA Novosti.
"According to updated information, there has been no contact with eight firefighters," the representative said, adding that the blaze had still not been extinguished.
An emergency service source told RIA Novosti on Thursday that a total of five firefighters could have died while extinguishing a fire that erupted after a warehouse roof collapse in Moscow’s east.
Earlier in the day, the Moscow branch of the Emergencies Ministry reported that the fire in the warehouse had spread over 500 square meters (almost 600 square yards) and plastic products were burning, which was causing excessive smoke.
The Moscow prosecutor’s office is now checking for any fire safety violations that could have occurred at the warehouse.
