- Title: RUSSIA: Thousands evacuated after fire breaks out in Moscow metro
- Date: 5th June 2013
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 5, 2013) (REUTERS) FIREFIGHTERS NEAR METRO EXIT FIREFIGHTERS, FIRE ENGINE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS NEAR METRO EXIT FIRE EXTINGUISHERS PEOPLE APPROACHING AMBULANCE FIRE ENGINES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EYEWITNESS KAMIL, SAYING: "We were riding on the metro, and suddenly - I don't know - the train stopped, and there was smoke. They said we will go now, we will go - and there you go... (COUGHING)" FIREFIGHTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EYEWITNESS KAMIL, SAYING: "It was unbearable there, we barely managed. There was smoke, lots of smoke." FIREFIGHTERS MAN CLEANING UP FACE AND HAIR VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICERS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN OF MOSCOW EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT VIKTOR BIRYUKOV, SAYING: "Between the two stations, Okhotny Ryad and Lenin Library, a power cable caught fire in the tunnel. We immediately made a decision to cut power supply, we switched off electricity. An evacuation of passengers was organised. The evacuation is still continuing, more than two thousand have been evacuated." VARIOUS OF POLICE AND FIRE ENGINES NEAR METRO EXIT, RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE EXITING METRO STATION
- Embargoed: 20th June 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Russian Federation
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Disasters
- Reuters ID: LVA5QTD16C8GV3WN7KMD7YGH7AZ3
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: More than four thousand people were evacuated on Wednesday (June 5) from the Moscow metro as a fire broke out in the tunnel between two stations.
At least 45 people had to seek medical help and seven people were hospitalized, Moscow officials said.
The fire caused one of the metro lines to
"We were riding on the metro, and suddenly - I don't know - the train stopped, and there was smoke. They said we will go now, we will go - and there you go," eyewitness Kamil said coughing.
"It was unbearable there, we barely managed. There was smoke, lots of smoke," he added.
The evacuation was orderly and there was no panic among passengers, both eyewitnesses and officials said.
"Between the two stations, Okhotny Ryad and Lenin Library, a power cable caught fire in the tunnel. We immediately made a decision to cut power supply, we switched off electricity. An evacuation of passengers was organised. The evacuation is still continuing, more than two thousand have been evacuated," spokesman of the Moscow emergency services department Viktor Biryukov told Reuters.
The fire caused a transport collapse in the Russian capital as it broke out during the morning rush hour. The metro is practically the only public transport handy for getting around in the traffic-clogged central Moscow. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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