The Volgograd region’s police department reported to RIA Novosti that the incident happened on Thursday morning at 70 Komarova Street in the Soviet district of Volgograd.
According to the press release, a child’s body was found inside a Skoda, while the vehicle owner, a 52-year-old man, was hospitalized with injuries.
Footage from nearby CCTV shows the fire beginning when the Skoda exploded and then spreading to a second vehicle. Residents in the area quickly moved their cars away from the flames to prevent further damage.
During the on-site inspection, investigators discovered two acetylene cylinders in the Skoda, and investigators concluded that a gas leak was the initial cause of the fire. The owner, V. Shirazhkin, born in 1970, was taken to intensive care in a critical condition. Reports circulating on the Volgograd News Telegram channel describe the man sustaining concussions, multiple fractures, and numerous cuts.
The Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Volgograd region opened a case accusing the owner of negligence resulting in death, in accordance with Part 1 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The circumstances surrounding the fire and the child’s death are under examination. An investigative-operational team, along with fire-fighting specialists from the Volgograd region forensic center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is working at the scene.
The heartache deepens as the child’s mother witnessed the event from the window
Local readers of the Volgograd news outlet Height 102 reported that the flames spread almost instantly from one car to another, turning a tense moment into a wider emergency.
Witnesses described a completely destroyed car and a powerful explosion. One bystander was fortunate to survive and was taken away by an ambulance. The flame quickly engulfed neighboring vehicles, leaving a wake of smoke and fear in its path.
Eyewitness accounts suggest the injured man may be the father of the deceased three-year-old boy. It was recounted that around eight in the morning the man took his child to the garden, placed the boy in the passenger seat of the car to warm up, and then briefly stepped outside. An explosion occurred while he was away, and the child’s mother reportedly saw the incident through a window, intensifying the emotional impact of the moment.
Another observer, speaking to REN TV, described the explosion as shockingly violent, comparing it to a bomb. The witness recalled windows rattling, and neighbors reporting that cars had exploded and a child had been inside one of them. The event left a stark impression due to its suddenness and severity.
There is unconfirmed information suggesting the injured man may have worked as a welder. Open sources also note that the boy’s mother, Natalia, was employed by an individual entrepreneur connected with Gazovik, a company involved in household gas equipment. The businessman behind Gazovik indicated the company had already been informed about the incident.
According to statements attributed to Gazovik, the company would assist the family. Natalia is described as a remote administrator for the business, with procurement activities tied to tender processes. The man previously associated with the company reportedly worked at Gorgaz. Gazovik clarified that it did not trade in acetylene cylinders found at the site, and its website does not list such a product—the company also stated it had no involvement in the incident.