At least four people were killed and dozens injured on Saturday after a hot water pipe burst at a shopping mall in western Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Saturday, TASS News Agency reported.
"The tragedy in the shopping centre has claimed the lives of three more people. My condolences to their families and friends," the mayor wrote on his Telegram channel.
As per the local media, after the pipe burst, the boiling water flooded a section of the mall, injuring at least 70 people and trapping around 20 others.
Later, a medical official told TASS that at least ten people had suffered burns in the incident, nine of whom were subsequently hospitalized.
The Telegram channel ‘SHOT’ published a short video purportedly filmed at the scene, appearing to show a hole in a wall above a stairway.
Another video, also published by ‘SHOT’, showed medics treating injured customers and mall staff at the scene, with hot steam coming out of the building’s doors.
As the Russian Investigative Committee proceed its investigation, the group has opened a criminal case over the death of four people, Yulia Ivanova, spokeswoman for the Investigative Committee’s Moscow department, told TASS on Saturday.
"A criminal case has been opened on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (negligence in providing services that resulted in two or more deaths)," she said.
According to the emergency services, a hot water pipe ruptured on the ground floor of the Vremena Goda (Seasons) mall. Rescue teams found four dead bodies. Nine people have been taken to hospitals.
"Ten people suffered burns. Nine of them were hospitalized and one was sent for outpatient treatment," health services told TASS.
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