Fire at defense research institute in Russia

A fire broke out at the Platan Defense Research Institute in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Many people were trapped in the building as flames spread to the 5th and 7th floors of the eight-story structure. 

Health and firefighting teams affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations were dispatched to the area. The fire, which spread over a total area of 4,500 square meters, was responded to by more than 40 fire trucks, 2 firefighting helicopters, and 40 personnel.

In the fire, 6 people trapped in the flames and 2 people who jumped from the building to escape the fire lost their lives, while 1 person was seriously injured. Those who fled the fire and took refuge in the building's stairwells were rescued by firefighting teams. More than 120 people were affected by smoke in the fire.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ARE PRODUCED

It was reported that the building houses the Platan Defense Research Institute in Moscow, which develops electronic components for the Russian defense industry, and that special R&D work for the Russian army is carried out at the institute.

While it is suspected that the fire may have been caused by a gas cylinder explosion or an electrical short circuit, an investigation into the fire has been launched.

Reports in the Russian press stated that the building where the fire broke out was constructed during the Soviet Union era, passed into private ownership after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 90s, and that no inspections regarding fire safety had been conducted in the building since 2017.