Blaze engulfs Russian online retailer's warehouse
A massive fire spread through online retailer Wildberries' warehouse in Russia on Saturday, the ministry of emergency situations said, without any reported casualties. Fires are relatively common in Russia due to old infrastructure or non-compliance with safety standards. "In total the fire spread through 70,000 square metres," Igor Ulubikov, an official at the Russian Emergencies Ministry in Saint Petersburg where the fire took place, said on Telegram. Firefighters brought the blaze under control but were still working on extinguishing it. Footage published by the ministry showed huge clouds of smoke billowing from destroyed, snowed-in buildings. Almost 9 percent of Wildberries' orders were shipped from the warehouse, state-run agency RIA Novosti said, citing online retail expert Anton Bestugin. The company owned by Russia's richest woman Tatyana Bakalchuk is one of the largest online marketplaces in the country and has enjoyed success across the former USSR. It was founded in 2004 by Bakalchuk, who was then on maternity leave, together with her IT technician husband Vladislav. (AFP)