Fire at Bashkortostan market kills three and injures several others

A fire broke out at the Solnechny market complex in Sterlitamak, one of Bashkortostan’s largest cities, destroying a four-storey brick structure. The Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed three people were killed and four injured, among them a 16-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman who leapt from the third floor. Seventeen individuals were evacuated, and some rescued themselves using makeshift ladders, while others jumped from windows.

A criminal case has been launched for causing the deaths of two or more persons through negligence. The market’s management denies any failure of the fire alarm, whereas the local Health Ministry reports the injured are hospitalized, with one in serious condition. A security-linked Telegram channel, Baza, claimed seven injuries, but official figures remain at four.