The fire that ravaged a military research institute in Tver, 160 km from Moscow last week, killed 17 people, according to a new report compiled by regional authorities on Monday, April 25.
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“At the moment, unfortunately, the confirmed number of deaths has risen to 17 people, five of whom have been identified,” the Tver region administration said in a statement, adding that work to clear the streets of the debris was continuing. The previous report from Thursday, the day the Russian Aerospace Forces Central Research Institute burned down, reported six deaths.
Russian TV broadcast images of thick black smoke billowing over the four-story tan building of the institute, which the Russian Defense Ministry says conducts research related to aerospace defense and new air defense systems. The public news agency TASS named a problem with the dilapidated electrical installation in the building as a possible cause of the fire. Fatal fires, often due to poor electrical installations or non-compliance with safety standards, are commonplace in Russia.