Moscow fire put out, no casualties

MOSCOW, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A big fire starting Monday in a downtown warehouse in Moscow was put out early Tuesday with no casualties, Russian authorities said.

The fire, starting from a copper-coil warehouse and then spreading to a nearby building, was put out by firefighters at 02:36 a.m. (2236 GMT Monday), Deputy Emergency Minister Alexander Chupriyan said.

The fire burned an area of about 4,000 square meters within two hours. About 46 fire engines and four helicopters were deployed to the scene.

It is one of the most serious fires in the capital city this year, Chupriyan said.

The warehouse was located near the Mikoyan meat factory, the country's biggest meat processor.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire may be caused by welders who violated safety rules, Chupriyan said. But some local press reports attribute it to arson.

Further investigation is under way.