ALBAWABA- A large fire swept through St. Petersburg’s Pravoberezhny Market, one of Russia’s major commercial hubs, late Wednesday, producing thick black smoke over the city’s northern district and triggering a series of explosions.
The blaze rapidly engulfing more than 1,500 square meters of the open-air market, which hosts vendors selling electronics, textiles, and other goods in trade reportedly exceeding $100 million daily.
Eyewitness footage shows towering flames consuming stalls, the roof collapsing, and secondary blasts echoing across the area.
Russian emergency services deployed 30 fire engines and over 100 personnel to battle the inferno, but officials warned the entire five-hectare site could be destroyed.
Preliminary reports suggest the explosions were caused by ignited gas cylinders, chemical products, and propane tanks stored amid the dense inventory, with no evidence of deliberate sabotage.
At least two injuries were reported, including a 52-year-old woman treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and a man hospitalized after jumping from a second-floor structure to escape the flames.
Authorities evacuated hundreds of traders and shoppers, many of whom are migrant workers from Central Asia, and have cordoned off the area.
The Russian Investigative Committee is examining the cause, with fire marshals considering potential electrical faults or unattended cooking fires as triggers.
