- Smoke was seen billowing from headquarters of Russian spy agency SVR
- Blaze broke out in a tunnel of the agency after an short circuit, it is claimed
- Three workers were reported to have died after getting trapped in a basement
- But spy chiefs denied this, saying nobody was hurt or killed in the incident
A fire has broken out at the headquarters of Russia’s spying agency amid claims three workers died in the blaze.
Drone footage revealed a huge column of smoke pouring from the headquarters of the SVR – the successor to the Soviet-era KGB – on Wednesday.
One report by Russian outlet HUE claimed three staff perished after the fire broke out in a basement but the SVR denied this, saying nobody was hurt or injured.
Smoke was seen billowing from the headquarters of the Russian SVR spy agency – successors to the Soviet-era KGB – in Moscow on Wednesday
One Russian TV station reported that three worker perished after the blaze broke out in an underground tunnel, but an SVR spokesman later denied this
The SVR said the fire, which broke out in a technical area of the 10,765sq ft facility, was ‘quickly extinguished’, a spokesman said.
Three workers were trapped by later escaped, spokesman Sergei Ivanov said.
The spy agency is located in the Yasenevo district of Moscow. It is Russia’s equivalent of the CIA and MI6.
‘Three people perished,’ claimed HUE contradicting the SVR statement.
‘The fire started in an underground tunnel because of electric short circuit and spread to cover 1,000 square metres.’
Interfax news agency earlier said that it was ‘impossible’ to contact three people inside the inferno.
Reports said that 15 fire trucks were needed to extinguish the fire at the espionage base.
However, because it is a secret facilities there were delays in the emergency services gaining access to the premises, it was claimed.
Three workers had become trapped in an underground basement, the SVR said, but later escaped. Nobody was injured or killed in the blaze, a spokesman added
It is thought the fire was caused after an electrical short circuit at the SVR headquarters (file)