A gigantic fire ravaged a listed building in Saint Petersburg on Monday April 12, 2021. – Valentin Yegorshin / TASS / Sipa USA / SIPA
A gigantic fire on Monday devastated a historic factory of Saint PETERSBOURG, in Russia. Huge flames and thick black smoke rose above this iconic building of the former Russian imperial capital.
“According to preliminary data, one person has died, two have been hospitalized,” said the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, while the fire continues to spread and ravages several floors of the “Nevsky factory”, a vast red brick complex, part of which is still an industrial site.
Forty people evacuated
Earlier, the ministry said two firefighters were injured and burned on half of their bodies and contact was lost with a third. According to the same source, 40 people were evacuated.
More than 4,000 m2 are burning, said a source of the emergency services quoted by Russian news agencies. Fontanka.ru, a local news website, broadcast impressive drone footage over the factory, showing several buildings completely devastated by the flames that were visible from the historic city center.
Built by an English industrialist in the 19th century, the “Nevski factory” was for a long time one of the largest textile factories in Russia and the USSR. Part of the complex is still dedicated to this activity, the rest being either abandoned or rented out as commercial premises. The factory, located in the southeast of St. Petersburg, is on the list of historical monuments in the region.