Man jumps from 5th floor to escape apartment blaze (GRAPHIC)
A massive fire broke out in a residential complex in northwest Moscow. One residents was forced to jump from the window of his fifth-floor apartment to escape the deadly blaze, as neighbors attempted to catch him with a blanket.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple explosions rocking the complex after a fire engulfed one of the flats at the Seliger Complex on Ilmensky Proezd.
The flames quickly spread to severalfloors of the building, compelling one resident to leap from his fifth-floor window.
In one video, residents outside are seen pulling up a blanket just as another explosion erupts.
In another, neighbors throw a mattress from a balcony to aid in his landing. The man reportedly survived but suffered several fractures.
The blasts were reportedly triggered by gas cylinders stored in teh burning apartment.
Several videos showed what appeared to be a flaming canister flying out of the flat, bouncing off the ground, and striking the building. The footage shows a bystander narrowly escaping the fireball.
While the official cause of the incident has yet to be determined, witnesses suggest the fire likely started in an apartment undergoing renovation. Some residents reportedly saw several gas cylinders being delivered to the flat a day earlier.
The blaze, which spread over 100 square meters, was eventually extinguished by a crew of 88 firefighters using 27 units of equipment.
Five people were rescued from the blaze, but the firefighters found one deceased body after they moved in to examine the burn-out apartment. The identity of the victim has yet to be revealed. Another four people, including a child, sustained injuries.
