MOSCOW — At least one person was killed and several others injured Sunday when a gas cylinder exploded inside Moscow’s Central Children’s Store, one of the Russian capital’s most famous landmarks, according to state media.
The blast ripped through the building — still widely known by Russians as the “Detsky Mir” toy shop — located on Lubyanka Square near the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
“Sadly, according to preliminary information, as a result of the incident, there is a death and some people have been injured,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement.
Emergency services evacuated the building, which houses shops, restaurants and a cinema. Video and photos showed police and security personnel cordoning off the area.
The Telegram channel Mash reported that a helium canister, not a gas cylinder, may have been the source of the blast. Authorities have not confirmed that account. — Agencies