A major fire broke out on August 3 at the Moscow-area warehouse of online retailer Ozon, destroying the building and causing at least one death, according to news reports.
A source in the emergency services was quoted as saying in addition to the fatality, two people remained unaccounted for and 13 were injured, including two who were hospitalized.
The fire caused the roof of the fulfillment center, where employees process orders placed by Ozon customers, to collapse in an area about the size of three soccer fields, according to the reports.
Emergencies Ministry official Aleksandr Chupryan was quoted by Interfax as saying no one had been killed, while 11 people had sought medical assistance.
Ozon, one of the largest companies in Russia’s e-commerce sector, said all employees had been safely evacuated from the warehouse and none had been injured. The company said the fire broke out in a standalone block at its fulfillment center near Istra, a village about 40 kilometers northwest of Moscow.
More than 1,000 employees were evacuated from the premises as nearly 100 firefighters battled the blaze using dozens of emergency response vehicles and helicopters. Photos posted on social media showed a plume of dark smoke billowing from the roof of the warehouse.
Arson is considered the likeliest cause of the fire, the emergency services source told RIA Novosti. The Prosecutor-General's Office of the Moscow region said that an investigation had been launched.
Ozon also said it had removed the goods that had been in the warehouse at the time of the fire from its online marketplace, adding in a statement that customers will be refunded for lost orders and sellers will receive compensation for damaged or lost goods.
The damage from the fire is estimated at 10 billion rubles ($163 million). The building was a complete loss.