Firefighters extinguish open flames at Luhansk telephone company building

Open flames at the Luhansk Telephone Company building were extinguished at 9:22 Moscow time, Russia’s regional emergencies service said. The service said the fire followed an overnight drone attack.

The fire spread from the first to the tenth floor, according to the emergencies service. Facades of neighbouring buildings were also damaged, and the threat of further drone attacks complicated firefighting.

On the morning of October 21, LNR head Leonid Pasechnik said an overnight duty team had been working inside when the building was struck. He said the structure was seriously damaged and people might remain beneath the debris.

After extinguishing the open flames, rescuers continued dealing with the aftermath and searching for people who might have been inside, the emergencies service said.