Up to 100 people are believed to have been inside the mall when it came under attack
A massive fire has broken out at a shopping mall in the Russian city of Donetsk after the building was shelled by Ukraine’s Armed Forces, several news outlets have reported, citing local emergency services. Footage of the blaze has been shared on social media by onlookers.
TASS news agency has reported that the ‘Galaktika’ shopping center caught fire after a shell strike on the Petrovsky district of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) capital. According to local authorities, the area was targeted five times on Friday with 155-mm artillery.
DPR leader Denis Pushilin has confirmed the attack, writing on his official Telegram channel that at around noon on Friday, Ukraine’s forces targeted the Petrovsky district, which resulted in the Galaktika shopping center catching fire. Donetsk Central Hospital No. 14 was also damaged in the bombardment, he said.
According to preliminary information, at least seven civilians are injured, including a teenager, Pushilin said.
Firefighters are actively working to contain the blaze, which has spread to over 10,000 square meters, the official said, noting that their work is being complicated by the “operational situation” which is forcing emergency services to keep a safe distance.
The Telegram channel SHOT has claimed that as many as 100 people are believed to have been inside the building when it was hit. According to SHOT, two people have died and over 10 are injured.
There are still people trapped inside the mall, and emergency workers are unable to reach them as Kiev’s forces continue to shell the area, TASS sources have claimed.
Emergency services have told the media that several children are feared to be inside the burning building.
“Today in “Galaktika” there were people with families, with children. Their fate is being clarified,” one source told TASS.
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