THIS is the horror moment a huge mystery inferno rips through a shopping mall in Warsaw destroying it and leaving firefighters baffled.
Video footage showed the raging blaze engulfing the building in flames and sending plumes of grey smoke billowing into the air.
A huge fire has ripped through a shopping centre in Warsaw
Firefighters were shocked at how fast the flames spread
Tomasz Fijolek/Fire DepartmentRoughly 200 firefighters arrived to tackle the blaze[/caption]
East2WestShop owners reportedly tried to go back inside the complex to fetch belongings but were stopped[/caption]
Here a machine can be seen blasting the flames with water
More than 80 per cent of the sprawling the Bialoleka district building was alight today and 50 firefighting teams struggled to subdue the flames.
Some 200 firefighters were at the site, including a chemical and ecological rescue group, according to reports.
No one has been reported injured but there are suspicions of arson.
Mariusz Feltynowski who led the operation said during a press conference: “Almost 100 per cent of it was burned. The fire is being extinguished and this will take many hours, perhaps several hours.”
He added that the blaze was particularly shocking due to the speed it spread, telling gazeta.pl: “We didn’t go too deep inside. It’s a strange situation that after 11 minutes the fire covered such a large area.
“Our experience shows that it should not spread so quickly.”
The roof of the Marywilska 44 Shopping Centre complex collapsed as the fire took hold.
The owners and employees of the shops located there quickly arrived at the burning building.
Some people tried to get in to save their property, ignoring the huge flames.
Fortunately, the police intervened in time and no one was put in danger.
A video clip taken from further away showed thick black smoke rising over the area as the sun began to rise.
Residents were urged not to open their windows or go outside.
Investigators are seeking to establish the cause of the major fire as mass speculation is circulating online.
Polish news outlets said the fire spread suspiciously quickly through the complex and it is still believed to be smouldering.
The fire comes amid reports based on briefings from security sources of Russian saboteurs targeting Western countries actively supporting Ukraine in the war.
The blaze started between 3:00 and 3:15 AM local time (2 AM GMT) and firefighters were on site after just a dozen or so minutes.
The Marywilska 44 with almost 1,400 commercial units – including many kiosks – was among the biggest shopping centres in Warsaw.
It was owned and managed by Mirbud.
The extinguishing operation is expected to last for hours
Smoke was seen billowing over the Bialoleka district
East2WestAn investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway and suspicions of arson have been raised[/caption]
East2WestOfficials arrived in time to stop anyone going into the building[/caption]
Press Department of the State Fire Service HeadquartersThe fire is still believed to be smouldering[/caption]
East2WestLocal residents have been told to close their windows[/caption]
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