A fire broke out in the early hours of the day in the historic St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. The incident was registered at around 02:30 local time (coinciding with Bulgarian time), with more than 10 fire brigade teams immediately dispatched to the scene. According to official operational services, the flames originated on the first floor of the building, specifically in the director's office.
The fire covered an area of about 10 square meters, affecting mainly furniture and personal belongings. Eyewitnesses on social networks and channels such as “Ostorozhno, Novosti“ reported that thick white smoke was seen above the temple for about half an hour, but no open flames were visible on the facade. Firefighters managed to localize and completely extinguish the fire in a short time.
No casualties in Red Square incident
The Russian Federation's Emergencies Ministry reported through the state news agency TASS that no one was injured or killed in the incident. The causes of the fire are currently being clarified by experts, and a full assessment of possible damage to the interior of the cultural monument is yet to be made.
The historical complex, which is under the protection of UNESCO, functions mainly as a museum and is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russia throughout the world. According to initial reports published in international media such as „Kyiv Post“ and „New Straits Times“, thanks to the rapid intervention of firefighters, there is no danger of structural damage to the temple's unique multi-colored domes.