An eyewitness described a devastating blast in a multi-storey building in the Avtozavodsky district of Nizhny Novgorod. The apartment was fully engulfed in flames, and the blast hurled glass and balcony fragments into a neighboring residence. One of the victims suffered severe burns, according to reports gathered at the scene.
From a vantage point opposite the affected building, the observer recounted the moment the explosion occurred. The noise was so loud that car alarms in nearby yards started to ring simultaneously. Thick black smoke billowed from the opposite residence, followed by tongues of flame. The observer rushed to the site, placing a call to emergency services before approaching the building. On reaching the area, it became clear that the apartment was entirely on fire, with the balcony nearly torn away and likely to collapse. Fragments of glass and balcony debris continued to be ejected from the apartment as the fire raged. At that time, firefighters had not yet arrived. Debris from the explosion flew toward a neighboring home, and smoke began to emerge from a balcony nearby. The observer witnessed a firefighter team attempting to rescue a man who was severely burned, though no details about other victims were provided.
The residents attempted to fight the fire themselves using snow and water, according to the witness. He noted that after the initial blast several additional explosions could be heard in the ensuing moments.
The incident on March 19 involved an explosion in a fifth-floor apartment of a nine-storey building in Nizhny Novgorod’s Avtozavodsky district, followed by a fire. Responding firefighters managed to rescue twelve people, including three children, and extinguished a fire that covered about 40 square meters of the apartment. A total of 167 people were evacuated via the stairwell. Five people, including three children, were injured in the incident, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The outlook and exact extent of damage were assessed as investigators continued to document the scene. The information is reported by authorities and corroborated by on-site witnesses, with details compiled for an official update.
Earlier reports mention a separate incident in which burns occurred due to a washing machine catching fire, adding to the area’s ongoing concerns about residential safety and appliance hazards.