Several killed in fire at Russian shopping center. People jump from windows to escape the flames.

A fire erupted at Solnechny shopping center in Sterlitamak, a major city in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuring four others, according to the Emergency Situations Ministry. The four-story brick building, which houses the market's trade and services complex, caught fire, leading to the evacuation of 17 people.

Eyewitnesses reported that the fire alarm may have malfunctioned during the incident. Some victims jumped from the upper floors of the building, using makeshift ladders provided by passersby and market employees to try to save them. The management of the complex denies any failure in their alarm system. Among the injured, one 16-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman who jumped from the third floor are in moderate condition, while another person remains in serious condition.

Baza, a Russian security services-linked Telegram channel, claims that seven people were injured in the blaze. An investigation into the incident has been initiated by the criminal case unit for causing the deaths of two or more people due to negligence.