Fire destroys Moscow shopping mall, killing 1 man

One man was killed after a massive fire on Friday destroyed a shopping mall on Moscows northwestern outskirts. Authorities said the blaze at the OBI mall in Khimki outside the Russian capital was sparked by welding that apparently violated safety regulations.

One man was killed after a massive fire on Friday destroyed a shopping mall on Moscow's northwestern outskirts. Authorities said the blaze at the OBI mall in Khimki outside the Russian capital was sparked by welding that apparently violated safety regulations. The huge blaze erupted before the mall opened its doors to customers, engulfing the entire building of 17,000 square meters (183,000 square feet).

Officials initially said arson may have been involved, but later said it was due to unsafe welding. A probe into the possible violation of safety rules has been launched.