In St. Petersburg, two sections of a six‑story pre‑revolutionary building gave way, causing a collapse that affected the Gorokhovaya Street corridor. City officials confirmed that traffic along Gorokhovaya Street was restored after the incident, though emergency crews remained on site to manage the aftermath and ensure public safety. The press service of the city administration provided updates on the situation and the ongoing response actions.
Public utilities teams together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations are conducting urgent operations at the collapse site. Their focus is on securing the area, preserving lives, and preventing further damage as investigations begin to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the accident. Rescue workers have set up a controlled perimeter and are coordinating with local authorities to maintain order while relief efforts continue.
The collapsed building, located on Gorokhovaya Street, occurred shortly before two in the morning on December 20. Fortunately, no residents were inside at the time, and those living in the building were relocated to safer accommodations. Emergency personnel evacuated 27 nearby residents, with 19 opting for hotel shelters and eight choosing to stay with relatives. Governor Alexander Beglov stated that residents from the adjacent building and two entrances would be accommodated in city hotels during the period of uncertainty and repairs.
Fire crews also attended the neighboring properties and requested evacuations from those buildings in the early hours of the morning. A resident named Eleonora described the precautionary moves, noting that the risk of a fresh collapse might be the reason for the additional evacuations, though the precise rationale remained a subject of official inquiry. The authorities emphasized that safety protocols guided every decision taken in those moments of heightened risk.
Maria, a resident of the damaged structure, told reporters that the building had shown signs of neglect over the years, and while renovations were undertaken in 2013-2014, a full demolition had not been planned or executed in advance. She remarked that the visible degradation was not immediately apparent to passersby, which complicated early assessments and raised questions about prior maintenance and inspection regimes that could have influenced the building’s condition.
The Admiralteysky District Prosecutor’s Office has taken charge of the situation, overseeing the ongoing response and ensuring that all procedural steps are properly followed as investigators gather evidence and testimonies. The office is coordinating with municipal agencies to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the crisis response and subsequent review process.
Earlier in the region, reports surfaced about a separate incident in Dagestan where a gas explosion affected a residential building, highlighting the broader concerns around urban safety and the urgency of rigorous building inspections and emergency preparedness across different jurisdictions.