RUSSIA: FIREMEN HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN FLAMES AT TOP OF MOSCOW'S OSTANKINO TELEVISION TOWER

Record ID: 648448

  • Title: RUSSIA: FIREMEN HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN FLAMES AT TOP OF MOSCOW'S OSTANKINO TELEVISION TOWER
  • Date: 27th August 2000
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 27, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. LAS OSTANKINO TV TOWER IN SMOKE 0.06 2. CU/SLV/LV SMOKE COMING FROM THE TOP OF TOWER (3 SHOTS) 0.32 3. SLV AMBULANCES AND FIRE FIGHTERS AT SITE 0.37 4. MV/SV PEOPLE GAZING AT TOWER (2 SHOTS) 0.49 5. GV/MV HELICOPTER IN THE AIR FLYING ROUND TOWER (2 SHOTS) 0.57 6. SLV AMBULANCES AND FIRE FIGHTERS AT SITE (2 SHOTS) 1.16 7. SV (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ALEXANDER NEKHOROSHEV,VICE PRESIDENT OF TV CENTRE CHANNEL, SAYING: "The problem is that at the moment none of the channels can broadcast in Moscow and we all decided that we will work in a pool and broadcast on the two remaining channels- cable channel "Stolitsa" and TNT" 1.38 8. SLV FIRE-FIGHTERS ON SITE WATCHING FIRE (3 SHOTS) 1.55 MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 27, 2000) (REUTERS) (NIGHT) 9. VARIOUS OF TOWER SURROUNDED BY SMOKE (2 SHOTS) 2.10 10. MV PEOPLE LOOKING UPWARDS TOWARDS FIRE 2.20 11. GV TOWER ON FIRE AT NIGHT (3 SHOTS) 2.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVABRFLBN0LVZKKHA2LY9JOBP2MX
  • Story Text: Firemen have been struggling to contain flames at
    the top of Moscow's Ostankino television tower, Europe's
    tallest structure, which halted broadcasting and forced the
    evacuation of a restaurant inside.



    The fire at the 540-metre (1,772 ft) TV tower broke
    out on Sunday (August 27), disrupting transmissions by the
    leading private broadcaster NTV, as well as two Moscow
    channels. Radio is also affected, and the popular Moscow
    station Ekho Moskvy went off the air.

    The blaze occurred in a technical area above the Seventh
    Heaven restaurant which offers a panoramic view of the city.

    By midnight, the fire had spread from near the top of the
    tower to below the Seventh Heaven restaurant, covering more
    than half of the building's total height.

    Four people, including three fire-fighters, were trapped
    in an elevator amid fears that the top of the 540-metre (1,772
    ft) tower -- the world's second-tallest structure -- could
    collapse.

    Fire trucks lined the streets near the base of the
    cylindrical tower, and helicopters were also on hand.

    Thick grey and white smoke billowed from the upper parts
    of the tower, which was the tallest building in the world when
    it was completed in 1967. Only the CN Tower in Toronto is
    taller.

    Police set up barriers forcing thousands of spectators to
    stand more than 700 metres away in case parts of the building
    collapsed. Two television studio buildings are near the base,
    but the surroundings consist mostly of a pond and a park.

    The tower in northern Moscow is made of reinforced
    concrete and the interior has a bank of elevators and a
    separate emergency stairwell nearby.

    Other areas of the tower contain banks of radio and
    television transmitters.


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