Samara, June 14 — Avia.pro. A serious emergency was recorded in a major regional center, where a powerful explosion inside a retail outlet led to a massive fire in a high-rise residential building.

According to local residents, the incident began with a loud explosion, clearly heard by residents in the surrounding neighborhoods. Preliminary experts believe the explosion was likely caused by a technical malfunction or a gas leak.

The fire originated in a grocery supermarket on the ground floor of a multi-story residential building. Within minutes, the flames spread through the exterior structures and ventilation shafts to the upper residential floors, quickly expanding to over 200 square meters.

A large-scale rescue operation has been launched at the scene. Some residents were able to quickly escape the smoke-filled apartments on their own, while the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) crews are evacuating the rest from windows and balconies. According to preliminary reports from emergency medical services, there have been no injuries or fatalities reported at this time.