A nine-story building caught fire in the town of Fryazino in Moscow Oblast, at least eight people died, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on June 24.
Fryazino is located 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) northeast of Moscow.
Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov said that the administrative building of the Platan Research Institute, where electronic devices are manufactured, was on fire at around 3:30 p.m. local time.
Ruselectronics, a Russian state-owned holding company that produces electronic components, later claimed that the building was privatized in the 1990s and is not connected to the defense industry.
The fire covered an area of 5,000 square meters and was extinguished at around 10 p.m. local time. Parts of the building's structure collapsed due to the fire.
The fire could have been caused by a malfunction in electrical equipment, emergency services told RIA Novosti.
The search and rescue operations are continuing.
Local authorities have not yet disclosed the final number of victims in the fire.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
